FBI arrests head of SK Foods in massive fraud case

[Newsjock]

Source: Sacramento Bee

Frederick Scott Salyer, heir to one of the biggest land empires in California history, was arrested today in New York City after being charged in Sacramento federal court with massive fraud in connection with the operation of his SK Foods LP.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner said Salyer was planning to flee the country and already transferred millions of dollars from bank accounts formerly associated with SK Foods entities to accounts in the Caribbean and Liechtenstein.

SK Foods, until it was sold out of bankruptcy last year as federal agents closed in on Salyer, was a grower, processor, and worldwide distributor of tomato and other food products sold to manufacturers, food-service distributors and marketers and retailers.

Salyer, 54, who lived in Pebble Beach, began planning to abscond after guilty pleas by several former SK Foods employees and customers. Purchasing executives for a who's who of the nation's food companies have pleaded guilty to bribing SK Foods in return for various anti-competitive arrangements.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/latest/story/2514309.html

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Would anyone be shocked to find that he is a repuke???

http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=CA&last=Salyer&first=Frederick

[glinda]

16. Less money for Repubs then. Fine with me.

[Auggie]

2. They'll wipe that smile off your face in prison, Salyer

[Grassy Knoll]

6. Sure gotta perdy mouth, hair club for men guy !

Oinky doinky !!!!

[Blue_Tires]

12. what a muppet

[KoKo]

3. Kick...I think there's more of this story than the article implies.....

I've had numerous examples of "adulterated food products" in the last year. I figured it was result of Bush Administrations lax policies just finally reaching the HIGH POINT that I have to toss out so much food that I buy.

This Sayler, guy...seems like something more that needs more investigation as to what he was really in to.

BTW ...my organic stuff I tried to buy from Whole Foods/Earth Fare...leads me with throwing out more than I can keep..and that's just in the last 18 months or so. Somehow Organic and Natural...just isn't what they are doing. "Spinach and Brocoli sold at Whole Foods in packages marked that they are from "China" and stuff bought at Trader Joe's and Earth Fare...that seem to be lower quality than what I can buy in my own basic Grocery Store.

Something is very wrong out there. The Bush Cuts in Everything coming home to roost in our Organic and Naturalistic Stores...filtering down to the rest of us. No standards...little testing. Yet we spend more thinking we are getting "better quality" ...while I have to through much out in garbage because it's crap.

[RoccoR5955]

4. You can still use it for compost.

At any rate, I manage to get everything at a local farmers' market, when it's in season. Eating in season is the way things used to be, but now we HAVE to have broccoli all year long, whether or not it is in season. I guess you can buy lots of it when it is in season, and can it. My mother and grandmother used to can 'in season' veggies all the time, and we lived in Brooklyn, NY! It ended up being cheaper in the long run. Nowadays, I am willing to admit that getting veggies from the farmers' market is a bit more expensive, but the quality is better, and you are keeping small family farms in business, thus stimulating the LOCAL economy, and not huge corporations.

[unapatriciated]

5. organic foods have a shorter shelf life because they're not sprayed with pesticides and preservative

[heliarc]

14. I've never had food last as long....

My farmer's market food lasts longer for the most part than any food I was getting at ralphs. Of course this doesn't apply to berries and very fragile produce, but the avocados I get locally can last for almost a month in the fridge without turning... some of the dark greens are incredibly robust too. Not just organic, but LOCAL food lasts longer because there isn't a week-2 week long delivery phase.

[unapatriciated]

17. you are correct-delivery time is the key element.

I prefer locally grown produce when I can get it.
It's fresher and supports the local economy.
I was just pointing out that reasons organic has a shorter shelf life, even grown locally it's shelf life is shorter than non-organic.

[UpInArms]

9. it gets weirder and weirder

http://www.websupp.org/data/NDCA/5:05-cv-03562-42-NDCA.pdf

http://thepacker.com/Salyer-American-Fresh-Foods-closing/Article.aspx?oid=366611&aid=&fid=PACKER-TOP-STORIES

something more than meets the eye and my brain - need more computing power

uia

[defendandprotect]

7. K&R

[FreakinDJ]

8. About time they started "Fighting White Collar Crime"

The whole fucking country has been so over obsessed with locking up some working stiff for failing to pay his full share of child support while Wall St and Greedy Corps have been Stealing America Blind

[HCE SuiGeneris]

10. The type of person that would sell his first born

if it netted him a dollar. May his actions result in appropriate karma.

[troubledamerican]

11. Lichtenstein.

[Newsjock]

13. More info from SF Chronicle

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/04/BABV1BSOPL.DTL&tsp=1

... A federal criminal complaint, filed Jan. 5 in Sacramento and unsealed Thursday, charges Salyer with 20 counts of mail and wire fraud. He is scheduled to make his first federal court appearance Friday in New York.

The complaint alleges that Salyer, over the past decade, orchestrated a scheme in which his company doled out bribes to purchasing managers at major supermarkets and food makers.

In return, prosecutors said, the purchasers signed contracts with SK Foods at elevated prices, or disclosed bid information from SK Foods' competitors.

In addition, prosecutors said, Salyer directed employees to mislabel food, including tomato paste with a mold level that exceeded standards set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Consumers' health was not at risk, prosecutors said, but shoppers paid inflated prices for lower-quality food.

[Mopar151]

18. I'm shocked, I tell you!

That there might be a crooked purchasing agent or supplier in the grocery business.....

[panzerfaust]

15. shocking ...

a business man who is a criminal!