USDA pulls PACA licenses from eight companies

(UPDATED) The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act sanctions on eight companies, restricting them from operating in the industry.

The companies and principals facing the sanctions, according to a news release, are:

• Lurie Brothers LLC, Chicago, for not paying $26,163 to an Arkansas seller. Salvatore Cimino, Alex Dernis and John Dernis were listed as members of the business. Another principal of the business at the time of the order was Frank Cione, but he is challenging his responsibly connected status.
• Central America Specialties Inc., Beltsville, Md., for $2,575 owed to a Florida seller. As Benecio Reyes was listed as the officer, director and major stockholder of the business.
• A & A Vegetables Inc., Hicksville, N.Y., for a $70,200 award in favor of a California seller. Amandeep Singh was listed as the officer, director and major stockholder of the business.
• Hunter Bros. Inc., Philadelphia, for not paying $2,682 to a New Jersey seller. Frank J. Wiechec III was listed as the officer, director and major stockholder of the business.
• Lorex Produce LLC, Rio Rico, Ariz., for failing to pay $48,826 to a Florida seller. Francisco Alejandro Lopez Rodriguez and Enok Aristiga Ayala were listed as members of the business.
• Arizona Lemons LLC, Phoenix, for an unpaid settlement of $16,776 to a Minnesota seller. Martha E. Bombela and Jose R. Partida were listed as members of the business.
• Perfect Harvest Inc., Nogales, Ariz., for not paying $243,240 to an Arizona seller. Jorge A. Mercado was listed as the officer, director and major stockholder of the business.
• Super HK HG LLC, doing business as Hong Kong Supermarket, Hawaiian Gardens, Calif., for failing to pay a $4,774 award to a California seller. Myint J. Kyaw was listed as a member of the business.

Sanctions suspend the businesses from operating in the industry and bar principal operators from engaging in PACA-licensed businesses without USDA approval, according to the release.

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