Release No.: 030-20
WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2020 – As part of its commitment to ensuring fair and competitive markets for the livestock, meat and poultry industries, on Jan. 28, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a complaint against Willis Bryant Gregory (Gregory) of New Albany, Miss., for alleged violations of the Packers and Stockyards (P&S) Act.
An investigation by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service revealed that from November 2017 to January 2018, Gregory purchased a total of 436 head of livestock for $334,880 on a commission basis without obtaining the necessary bond or bond equivalent.
The P&S Act requires that every market agency, packer and dealer must execute and maintain a bond applicable to the activity or activities in which the entity engages to secure their financial obligations to livestock sellers. Operating without an adequate bond or bond equivalent is a violation of the P&S Act.
Gregory will have 20 calendar days following receipt of the complaint to respond directly to the USDA Administrative Law Judge or be found in violation and subject to penalty.
The P&S Act authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to assess civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation against any person after the notice and opportunity for hearing on the record. If the allegations are admitted or proven in an oral hearing, Gregory may be ordered to cease and desist from violating the P&S Act and assessed a civil penalty.
The P&S Act is a fair trade practice and payment protection law that promotes fair and competitive marketing environments for the livestock, meat and poultry industries.
For further information about the Packers and Stockyards Act, contact Stuart Frank, Packers and Stockyards Division, at (515) 323-2586, or by email at stuart.frank@usda.gov.
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