Blue Bell pleads guilty in 2015 ice cream listeria outbreak; former CEO charged with conspiracy

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

The makers of Blue Bell ice cream have pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts related to a deadly 2015 listeria outbreak, and the company’s former CEO has been charged with conspiracy, multiple news outlets reported.

Paul Kruse, the former president and CEO of Blue Bell Creameries, is accused of participating in a conspiracy to conceal "potential and/or confirmed listeria contamination in Blue Bell products from certain Blue Bell customers," KTRK reported, citing court documents.

Federal prosecutors allege the conspiracy's goal was to "obtain money from Blue Bell's customers by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises," the TV station reported.

For its part, the Brenham, Texas-based company stands accused of distributing ice cream products that were manufactured under unsanitary conditions and contaminated with listeria monocytogenes, The New York Times reported.

By pleading guilty to distributing the "adulterated ice cream products," Blue Bell has agreed to pay $19.4 million in fines, forfeitures and civil payments, the second-the second-largest amount ever paid to resolve a food safety case, the Times reported.

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