The Supreme Court assured prison time for Austin DeCoster, once believed to be the largest U.S. egg producer, and his son, Peter, by refusing a petition filed by their attorneys for a review of their sentences. The men were sentenced in 2015 to three months in prison apiece following an outbreak of salmonella and the recall of a record 550 million eggs in 2010, said Food Safety News.
In an agreement with prosecutors, the DeCosters pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, paid $100,000 in fines and agreed their company, Quality Egg LLC, would pay a $6.8 million fine. The company pleaded guilty to three counts, including bribery of a USDA egg inspector, said Food Safety News. The DeCosters did not agree to jail time in the plea agreement, leaving the question to U.S. District Judge Mark Bennett.
Food Safety News said the DeCosters’ appeal of their sentence “gained some broad support from the business community.” The appeal was an attempt to limit the circumstances in which a company official can be disciplined for wrongdoing by an employee.