Pilgrim’s Pride CEO takes leave of absence following price-fixing allegations

Jayson Penn, the CEO of Pilgrim’s Pride, charged by U.S. prosecutors of conspiring to fix prices, has begun a paid leave of absence effective immediately. A federal indictment, revealed in early June 2020, disclosed evidence of Penn directly discussing the alleged price-fixing with colleagues.

“Particularly in times of global crisis, the division remains committed to prosecuting crimes intended to raise the prices Americans pay for food,” said Makan Delrahim, an assistant attorney general of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Antitrust Division, in a press release. “Executives who cheat American consumers, restauranteurs, and grocers, and compromise the integrity of our food supply, will be held responsible for their actions.”

According to the indictment, from at least as early as 2012 until at least early 2017, Penn, Roger Austin (Pilgrim’s Pride), Mikell Fries (Claxton Poultry Farms), and Scott Brady (Claxton Poultry Farms) conspired to fix prices and rig bids for broiler chickens across the United States. The offense charged carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine.