Former Chief Executive Accused Of Cover Up

Blue Bell Creameries CEO Indicted in Listeria Conspiracy Case

Former Chief Executive Accused of Cover-Up

Blue Bell Creameries, a Texas-based ice cream manufacturer, agreed to plead guilty to charges related to a listeria outbreak that sickened 10 people and killed three in 2015. As part of the plea agreement, the company agreed to pay $19.35 million in fines and forfeiture.

In a criminal indictment unsealed on April 20, 2023, former Blue Bell CEO Paul Kruse was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The indictment alleges that Kruse and other Blue Bell executives knew about the listeria contamination but failed to take adequate steps to address it, putting the public at risk.

The indictment also alleges that Kruse and other executives engaged in a cover-up, hiding the contamination from the public and from federal regulators. The cover-up allegedly involved falsifying documents and providing misleading information to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Kruse has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is scheduled to go on trial in October 2023.

The listeria outbreak at Blue Bell Creameries was one of the largest in US history. The outbreak was linked to ice cream and other products produced at the company's plant in Brenham, Texas. The outbreak sickened 10 people in four states and killed three.

In the wake of the outbreak, Blue Bell Creameries recalled all of its products and closed its Brenham plant. The company has since implemented new safety measures and reopened the plant.