U.S. Department
of Justice
Blue Bell Creameries, Paul Kruse
United States v. Blue Bell Creameries, 1:20-cr-123 (W.D. Tex.)
United States v. Paul Kruse, 1:20-cr-249 (W.D. Tex.)
Update: October 20, 2020
The former president of Texas-based ice cream manufacturer Blue Bell Creameries L.P. was charged in connection with a scheme to cover up the company’s sales of listeria-tainted ice cream in 2015. In an indictment filed in federal court in Austin, Texas, Paul Kruse, Blue Bell’s former president, was charged with seven counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to his alleged efforts to conceal from customers what the company knew about the listeria contamination of certain Blue Bell products. Kruse pleaded not guilty to the charges and a trial has been set for July 26, 2021 before U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman in Austin, Texas.
Update: September 17, 2020
At a hearing in federal court in Austin, Texas, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman sentenced ice cream manufacturer Blue Bell Creameries L.P. to pay $17.25 million in criminal penalties for shipments of contaminated products linked to a 2015 listeriosis outbreak.
Update: May 13, 2020
Blue Bell Creameries Pleads Guilty in Ice Cream Listeria Contamination Case
United States v. Blue Bell Creameries
Docket Number: 1:20-cr-123 (W.D. Tex.)
On May 13, 2020, Blue Bell Creameries pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman to charges that the Texas-based ice cream manufacturer shipped listeria-contaminated products in 2015. Blue Bell’s former president, Paul Kruse, was previously charged on May 1, 2020, in connection with his alleged role in covering up from customers what the company knew about the contaminated ice cream. Blue Bell pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of distributing adulterated ice cream products and has agreed to pay a criminal fine and forfeiture amount totaling $17.25 million according to the terms of a plea agreement. Blue Bell also agreed to pay an additional $2.1 million to resolve civil False Claims Act allegations regarding ice cream products manufactured under insanitary conditions and sold to federal military facilities.
Sentencing will be held in Austin, Texas, before Judge Pitman. The date of the sentencing hearing has not yet been set. For more information, see the Press Release dated May 1, 2020.
Original post: May 1, 2020
Blue Bell Creameries Agrees to Plead Guilty and Pay $19.35 Million for Ice Cream Listeria Contamination; Former Company President Charged
United States v. Blue Bell Creameries; United States v. Kruse
Press release
On May 1, 2020, the United States filed a criminal information and plea agreement resolving charges that Texas-based ice cream manufacturer Blue Bell Creameries shipped listeria-contaminated products in 2015. Blue Bell’s former president, Paul Kruse, was charged in connection with his alleged role in covering up from customers what the company knew about the contaminated ice cream. Blue Bell agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of distributing adulterated ice cream products and pay a criminal fine and forfeiture amount totaling $17.25 million. Blue Bell also agreed to pay an additional $2.1 million to resolve civil False Claims Act allegations regarding ice cream products manufactured under insanitary conditions and sold to federal military facilities. The total $19.35 million in fine, forfeiture, and civil settlement payments constitutes the second largest-ever amount paid in resolution of a food-safety matter.
Blue Bell filings: