Chemnutra and It's Owners Plead Guilty

[Bonkers]

  " A Las Vegas-based company and its owners have agreed to plead guilty in connection with tainted pet food in 2007 that may have killed thousands of dogs and cats.

Stephen S. Miller is co-owner of ChemNutra Inc. An attorney for Miller filed documents last week in federal court in Kansas City saying Miller had reached a plea agreement with prosecutors and would plead guilty plea at a hearing June 16.

Miller's wife, Sally Miller, and ChemNutra also planned to plead guilty."

"The Millers and ChemNutra were indicted in February 2008 on charges of selling Chinese-made wheat gluten tainted with the chemical melamine to pet food makers."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090603/ap_on_bi_ge/us_toxic_pet_food

[Hannie]

Sentence:  10 yrs behind bars eating food made with their tainted glutens three times a day!

[kaffe]

Sentence:  10 yrs behind bars eating food made with their tainted glutens three times a day!

ha ha ha ha

but not enough for those who've lost a beloved animal compnion through their gred and duplicity.

Now, because they saved the state a whole load of money by pleading guilty straight off the hat, I suppose they'e going to get a lighter sentence/fine?  Makes me so angry.

[Hannie]

kaffe:

I doubt they'll get a long sentence.......I believe they know if they have a trial by jury, they'd hang them, especially if you get a few animal lovers on the panel.  I'm sure that's why they decided to cop a plea.

I'd love to see them do time but these evil doers never seem to get a lot of jail time like you or I would.  Amazing what a high-priced lawyer can do for you!  You know, the ones WE can't afford.

Actually, if they fed them food made w/their glutens, it would solve yet another problem:  how to get rid of all that toxic crap.

Kisses to cato.......

[Bonkers]

 " prosecutors weren't alleging that the Millers and ChemNutra knew that the product was toxic, only that they were aware the product had been shipped into the U.S. under false pretenses and failed to notify their customers."
 
Reading this statement in the news article leads me to believe that they will not get much of a punishment. My guess is that a only hefty fine will be imposed. But I REALLY like Hannie's idea about making them eat the "toxic crap".  

[kaffe]

kaffe:


Kisses to cato.......

awww.... prrrr purrrr headbutts kitty sandpaper licks to your frry baby too!

[sherrylynne]

That is so damned frustrating! All those poor animals, and their owners, and all the culprits will probably get is the proverbial slap on the wrist!

[GreyGhost]

I have to say, I am totally disgusted with this thing. If any one else did something like this they would in prison for a long time. To think these people did this knowingly and will get a slap on the wrist make me sick. 

[Hannie]

I got this in a newsletter this morn from Therese:  "ChemNutra, which imports ingredients from China to the U.S. for the feed and food industries, and the Millers were charged with 13 misdemeanor counts of introduction of adulterated food into interstate commerce, 13 misdemeanor counts of introduction of misbranded food into interstate commerce and one felony count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud."

If you aren't angry now, get angry.  Anything to do with adulterated food is a friggin misdemeanor & wire fraud is a felony? 

GMAFB!  This is insanity.

Just goes to show just how much life is worth today......especially to our law makers.

[Bonkers]

  Well, this coming tuesday is the big day. Can't wait to find out what their punishment will be........

[Hannie]

  Well, this coming tuesday is the big day. Can't wait to find out what their punishment will be........

Will you post when you learn what the punishment is.......fifteen whips w/a wet gluten noodle or some such thing?  A slap on the wrist?

I think they should be required to use up all those glutens in their home cooking......but I'd much rather see them do time.  Won't happen, we all know that.

[Bonkers]

  "A Las Vegas-based company and its owners have pleaded guilty to distributing a tainted ingredient used to make pet food that killed potentially thousands of dogs and cats."

 "Sally Qing Miller, 43, and her husband, Stephen S. Miller, 56, along with their company, Chemnutra Inc., pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of selling adulterated food and one count of selling misbranded food, both misdemeanors.

"They initially were charged with 13 counts of introduction of adulterated food into interstate commerce, 13 counts of introduction of misbranded food into interstate commerce and one felony count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud."

"The conduct of these defendants in violating federal health and safety standards caused the deaths and illness of thousands of family pets, as well as anxiety among dog and cat owners across the country and economic harm to many pet food manufacturers," Acting U.S. Attorney Matt J. Whitworth said in a news release."

"The sentencing hearing has not been scheduled. The Millers face up to two years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $200,000 and an order of restitution. ChemNutra is subject to a fine up to $400,000 and an order of restitution."

"But Robert J. Becerra, an attorney who represented Sally Qing Miller, who is a Chinese national, and Chemnutra, said the company, the Millers and the government agreed that probation and a fine were an appropriate sentence."

http://www.heraldonline.com/426/story/1414403.html   

 Probation and a fine for killing and thousand of pets?  #&*%*#$   

[Bonkers]

  Here is the news release.
 
OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/mow/news2009/miller.ple.htm

[Hannie]

I'd love to seem them pay a really huge fine & spend the two years in prison.  However, they can afford lawyers that you & I can't.......therefore, they'll get off with a slap on the wrist & a very small fine.

I think they should figure out how much they made on the toxic glutens that they imported & that should be their fine........millions, I'm sure.

But I'm just a hysterical pet owner.......I don't know jack.......GMAFB.

Send them away & take away all their profits......please!

[Hannie]

Just so you know, I'm in the process of writing to the court & give them a little bit of info on how the Millers have affected my life & that of my dog.

Thankfully, Hannah never got sick but a couple of times I had been feeding her something that was later recalled.  My stress level was through the roof (I'm sure you can all relate to that statement).  I did have to make a couple of vet visits to have her checked over thoroughly so it cost me financially & it certainly cost me in lost sleep.  Then there were the days & days of research & trying to get info on the recall of the week.  I believe the letters go to the court clerk & he will probably decide what the judge sees (don't know that to be fact, just a guess).  I want the judge to know that this not only affected people who lost their beloved fur kids but anyone who had a pet that they loved.

These letters should not be angry or to recommend sentencing, I personally think you would do more good to send a nice letter telling the court how this has affected you personally.

If anyone wants to see my letter, I'll be happy to PM it to you or I suppose I could post it if anyone wants me to.......it's really not all that interesting.

I think if the court got a lot of letters about how the Millers & their toxic imports affected peoples' lives, maybe they would get more than a slap on the wrist.

I have info on who to write to but will not post that publicly.  I will PM it to you if you're interested in sending off a letter.