USDA says Mass. company 'unfit' for PACA, Az. man cited for PACA violations
USDA says Mass. company 'unfit' for PACA, Az. man cited for PACA violations
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has filed a notice to show cause under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act against The Alphas Co. Inc. The USDA alleges that the company is unfit to be licensed under PACA in that it and its president engaged in practices of a character prohibited by PACA.
The Alphas Co. Inc., operating from Massachusetts, will have an opportunity to request a hearing. Should USDA find that the company engaged in practices of a character prohibited by PACA, USDA may withhold issuing a PACA license to The Alphas Co. Inc. and it would be barred from operating in the produce industry.
Additionally, the USDA cited Ricardo Bombella of Goodyear, AZ, for failing to comply with employment sanctions.
USDA and Ricardo Bombella entered into a consent decision and order finding that Bombella violated section 8(b) of PACA by being employed by a PACA licensee between April 2012 and April 2014 while under employment sanctions. As a result of the consent decision and order, Bombella’s employment sanction was extended for a one-year period beginning April 6, 2016.
In the past three years, the USDA resolved approximately 3,700 PACA claims involving more than $66 million. Its experts also assisted more than 7,100 callers with issues valued at approximately $100 million.
