A manager of a Wilbur-Ellis Company pet food ingredients processing facility in Texas pleaded guilty to charges of pet food fraud and money laundering in a federal court room in Missouri last week, the United States Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Missouri announced.
48-year-old William Douglas Haning appeared before U.S. Chief District Judge Rodney Sippel in the Eastern District of Missouri on October 24, admitting that he and several others shipped adulterated and falsely labeled pet food ingredients to pet food manufacturers, co-packers, and co-manufacturers when he served as operations manager of the Wilbur-Ellis plant in Rosser, TX from January 2008 to May 2014.
“For years, William Douglas Haning orchestrated a scheme similar to charging filet mignon prices for ground beef. He unjustly lined his own pockets at the expense of unsuspecting consumers,” Acting Special Agent in Charge Alicia Corder of the FBI St. Louis Division said in October 24 press release. “Corporate fraud is one of the top white-collar crime priorities for the FBI.”
The adulterated goods were sent to manufacturers in Connecticut and Indiana and six co-packers and co-manufacturers in Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Minnesota during the six-year period. Packages of the ingredients were labeled as a single-ingredient premium pet food product like chicken meal, but were actually a blend of ingredients that included by-products and features.
“U.S. consumers – and especially pet owners – look to the FDA to ensure that their pets’ food is not only safe and wholesome, but is also accurately labeled. When criminals introduce adulterated and falsely labelled pet food into the U.S. marketplace, they put the health of companion animals at risk,” Special Agent in Charge Charles L. Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Kansas City Field Office, said in a statement. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice food manufacturers who put profits ahead of the public health.”
Wilbur-Ellis acquired the Rosser facility in 2011 from Haning and his brothers. Following the transition of ownership, Haning remained aboard in a sales and management role, including buying food ingredients that were blended at the Rosser plant and selling the products made at the site.
The company has already paid $4.5 million in restitution for its role. Following the proceedings last week, Haning now faces five years of probation. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations.
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