A California firm has satisfied the terms of a consent decision related to alleged Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act violations, the USDA says.
In a complaint filed on June 27, 2023, the USDA alleged that VIP Marketing Inc., Los Angeles, failed to make full payment promptly in the total amount of $408,983 to three sellers for multiple lots of produce, according to a news release.
After the complaint was filed, USDA and VIP Marketing Inc. entered into a consent decision and order in which the company agreed to pay the unpaid produce sellers listed in the complaint and to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $40,000, the release said. As a result, the finding that it had committed repeated and flagrant PACA violations was permanently abated without further process and the case has been closed, according to the USDA.
For more information, contact Corey Elliott, chief of the Investigative Enforcement Branch, at 202-720-6873 or PACAInvestigations@usda.gov.
