Former Grocery Clerk Indicted for Poisoning Beef
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - A federal grand jury has indicted a former grocery clerk at Byron Center Family Fare Supermarket located in Byron Center, Mich. for poisoning 200 pounds of ground beef last month.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip Green said Randy Jay Bertram was a disgruntled employee who wanted revenge against his employers. On Wednesday, a Grand Rapids, Mich., grand jury charged Bertram with poisoning food with reckless disregard for the danger of death or bodily injury and poisoning food with intent to cause injury to the supermarket. If convicted on both charges, Bertram faces a maximum of a 30-year prison sentence.
Bertram brought a bottle of insecticide with him to work on New Year's Eve and poured it into a batch of ground beef he prepared which made some 40 people sick, according to federal prosecutors.
A press release issued by Grand Rapids-based Spartan Stores, which owns the supermarket, says: "Byron Center Family Fare supermarket wants to thank the federal, state and local agencies for their cooperative efforts in conducting the investigation and communicating health information regarding the contamination of ground beef products sold" at the store in January.
Spartan Stores thanked customers for their understanding and patience during the investigation, particularly those who contacted the company throughout the investigation regarding their health concerns and the product. The company further stated that it is deeply concerned that anyone may have become ill as a result of this matter.
Although Byron Center Family Fare issued four product recalls in January to advise consumers who purchased the hamburger fresh ground and ground beef with sell-by dates of January 1, 2 or 3 to return the product to the store, it is again asking any consumer who may have any unused product to return it to the store.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip Green said Randy Jay Bertram was a disgruntled employee who wanted revenge against his employers. On Wednesday, a Grand Rapids, Mich., grand jury charged Bertram with poisoning food with reckless disregard for the danger of death or bodily injury and poisoning food with intent to cause injury to the supermarket. If convicted on both charges, Bertram faces a maximum of a 30-year prison sentence.
Bertram brought a bottle of insecticide with him to work on New Year's Eve and poured it into a batch of ground beef he prepared which made some 40 people sick, according to federal prosecutors.
A press release issued by Grand Rapids-based Spartan Stores, which owns the supermarket, says: "Byron Center Family Fare supermarket wants to thank the federal, state and local agencies for their cooperative efforts in conducting the investigation and communicating health information regarding the contamination of ground beef products sold" at the store in January.
Spartan Stores thanked customers for their understanding and patience during the investigation, particularly those who contacted the company throughout the investigation regarding their health concerns and the product. The company further stated that it is deeply concerned that anyone may have become ill as a result of this matter.
Although Byron Center Family Fare issued four product recalls in January to advise consumers who purchased the hamburger fresh ground and ground beef with sell-by dates of January 1, 2 or 3 to return the product to the store, it is again asking any consumer who may have any unused product to return it to the store.