May 18, 2009

Federal Prosecutors Agree to Drop Identify-Theft Charges in Potsville Slaughterhouse Case

As a result of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, federal prosecutors in the Potsville Slaughterhouse case have agreed to drop identity-theft charges against defendants of Agriprocessors Inc. In an unrelated case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week that prosecutors of identity-theft charges must prove the defendant knew that the information being used belonged to another person.

On May 11, 2009, federal prosecutors asked the federal judge presiding over the case to dismiss aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft charges against Agriprocessors Inc.'s plant manager, Brent Beebe, and former executive, Sholom Rubashkin. Rubashkin was facing six counts of aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft. He also was indicted on immigration, bank fraud and other charges stemming from the large-scale immigration raid that took place on May 12, 2008, which led to the arrest of 389 immigrant workers. Brent Beebe and the plant were each facing seven counts. Aggravated identity theft carries a possible two-year prison sentence.