United Group Insurance

Court denies appeal for egg executives in salmonella case

Ag/Outdoor, News

May 23rd, 2017 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a sentencing appeal by a father and son whose Iowa-based egg production company caused a massive 2010 salmonella outbreak.

The rejection Monday means Austin “Jack” DeCoster and his son Peter DeCoster will be required to serve prison time for misdemeanor food safety violations. The appeal was denied without comment.

The DeCosters were sentenced to three months in prison by a federal judge in Iowa in 2015 but appealed to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals which upheld the sentences last July. They’ve been free awaiting their appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The attorney for the DeCosters and the federal prosecutor who handled the case declined to comment.