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News

PCA’s Former Quality Manager Surrenders to Federal Prison

November 5, 2015

One of the main defendants in the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) trial has surrendered to federal prison, according to reports.

Forty-two year old Mary Wilkerson--PCA’s former quality assurance manager who was convicted for obstructing justice--was sentenced to 5 years in prison in September for her lying to investigators about shipments of Salmonella tainted peanut butter. The product lead to a widespread outbreak that caused 9 deaths and sickened at least 700 others in 2008 and 2009.

Initially, the mother of two remained free on $25,000 bond immediately following her sentencing while the Bureau of Prisons assigned her to a specific prison facility. Now, she has surrendered to a federal correctional facility in Marianna, FL. Although the prison is a medium-security facility for men, the campus does house women at a minimum-security location nearby where Wilkerson will stay.

In September, former PCA owner Stewart Parnell was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison--the heftiest punishment of all defendants in the case--for knowingly approving shipments of the contaminated peanut butter. His brother, Michael Parnell, will serve 20 years. Two co-defendants--Samuel Lightsey and Daniel Kilgore--both former plant managers at PCA--were ordered to serve 72 months (6 years) and 36 months (3 years) respectively.

Wilkerson’s 5 year sentence will be followed by 2 years of supervised probation.

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Author(s): Staff

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