BRENHAM, Texas (KBTX) - The man who was in charge of Blue Bell when a deadly listeria outbreak killed three people in 2015 will not spend any time in prison after striking a deal with the U.S. government. The United States government agreed on Wednesday to dismiss all fraud charges against former Blue Bell CEO Paul Kruse, with the parties agreeing that Kruse pleads guilty to a misdemeanor charge of being responsible for what happened along with paying a $100,000 fine, KRRC-TV first reported. The deal came nearly three years after the U.S. Department of Justice first brought felony fraud charges against Kruse arising out of the deadly outbreak. His trial in August ended with a hung jury, and a retrial had been set for April, reports Reuters. In 2020, the Brenham-based company was ordered to pay $17 25 million in criminal penalties in connection with the contamination.
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Former Blue Bell CEO avoids prison time by pleading guilty to misdemeanor
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