Source: https://stg.justice.gov/atr/case-document/plea-agreement-102
Timestamp: 2019-03-24 08:44:50
Document Index: 46841885

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1', '§ 8', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 8', '§ 3612', '§ 3013', '§ 8', '§ 8', '§ 1621', '§ 1623', '§ 401', '§ 1503', '§ 1621', '§ 1623', '§ 1503']

DUCOA, L.P.,
Criminal No. 3-02CR00291N
The United States of America and DuCoa, L.P. ("defendant"), a corporation organized and existing under the laws of Delaware, hereby enter into the following Plea Agreement pursuant to Rule 11(e)(1)(C) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure ("Fed. R. Crim. P."):
1.	DuCoa, L.P. understands its rights:
2.	The defendant waives the rights set out in Paragraph 1(b)-(f) above. The defendant also waives the right to appeal the imposition of sentence against it, so long as the sentence imposed is consistent with the recommendation in Paragraph 8 of this Plea Agreement. Further, pursuant to Fed. R. Crim. P. 7(b) the defendant will waive indictment and plead guilty at arraignment to a one-count Information to be filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The Information will charge the defendant with participating in a conspiracy to suppress and eliminate competition by fixing the price of, allocating customers for, and allocating the volume of choline chloride manufactured by the defendant and its co-conspirators and sold by them in the United States and elsewhere, beginning in part at least as early as January 1988 and continuing until at least September 29, 1998, in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1.
For purposes of this Plea Agreement, the "relevant period" is that period beginning as early as January 1988 and continuing until at least September 29, 1998. During the relevant period, the defendant was first a joint venture between DuPont De Nemours and Company and ConAgra, Inc. and then later a limited partnership organized and existing under the laws of Delaware. The defendant has its principal place of business in Highland, Illinois. During the relevant period, the defendant was a producer of choline chloride and was engaged in the sale of choline chloride in the United States and elsewhere. Choline chloride is a vitamin of the B-complex group (vitamin B4) used to enrich animal feed products in the United States and elsewhere.
During the relevant period, the defendant, through several of its executives, officers, and employees, participated in a conspiracy among major choline chloride producers, the primary purpose of which was to fix the price, allocate customers for, and the volume of choline chloride manufactured by the defendant and its co-conspirators and sold by them in the United States and elsewhere. In furtherance of the conspiracy, the defendant, through several of its executives, officers, and employees, engaged in discussions and attended meetings with representatives of other major choline chloride producers. During these discussions and meetings, the defendant and its co-conspirators reached agreements as to the volumes of choline chloride the conspirators would sell and the prices at which they would sell choline chloride in the United States and elsewhere. Further, agreements were reached resulting in the submission of rigged bids for the award and performance of contracts to supply choline chloride to customers located throughout the United States.
During the relevant period, choline chloride sold by one or more of the conspirator firms, and equipment and supplies necessary to the production and distribution of choline chloride, as well as payments for choline chloride, traveled in interstate and foreign commerce. The business activities of the defendant and its co-conspirators in connection with the production and sale of choline chloride affected by this conspiracy were within the flow of, and substantially affected, interstate and foreign trade and commerce.
Substantial quantities of choline chloride affected by this conspiracy were sold by one or more of the conspirators to customers in the Northern District of Texas.
pursuant to § 8B1.1(a)(2) of the United States Sentencing Guidelines ("U.S.S.G."), the Court may order it to pay restitution to the victims of the offense;
7.	Sentencing for the offense to be charged will be conducted pursuant to the U.S.S.G. manual in effect on the day of sentencing. Pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 1B1.8, the United States agrees that self-incriminating information that the defendant provides to the United States pursuant to this Plea Agreement will not be used to increase the volume of affected commerce attributable to the defendant or in determining the defendant's applicable sentencing guidelines range, except to the extent provided for in U.S.S.G. § 1B1.8(b).
8.	Pursuant to Fed. R. Crim. P. 11(e)(1)(C), the United States and the defendant agree that the appropriate disposition of the case is, and agree to recommend jointly that the Court impose, a sentence requiring the defendant to pay to the United States a criminal fine of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000), pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 8C3.3(b)(Inability to Pay), payable in full within 180 days after the date of judgment, with interest accruing on any unpaid balance after 15 days under 18 U.S.C. § 3612(f)(1)-(2) ("the recommended sentence"). The defendant understands that the Court will order it to pay a $400 special assessment pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3013(a)(2)(B) and U.S.S.G. § 8E1.1, in addition to any fine imposed.
9.	The United States and the defendant agree that the applicable sentencing guidelines fine range exceeds the fine contained in the recommended sentence set out in Paragraph 8 above. The United States and the defendant further agree that the recommended fine is appropriate, pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 8C3.3(b), due to the inability of the defendant to pay a fine greater than that recommended without substantially jeopardizing its continued viability.
If the Court does not accept the recommended sentence, the defendant will be free to withdraw its guilty plea (Fed. R. Crim. P. 11(e)(4)). If the defendant withdraws its plea of guilty, this Plea Agreement, the guilty plea, and any statement made in the course of any proceedings under Fed. R. Crim. P. 11 regarding the guilty plea or this Plea Agreement or made in the course of plea discussions with an attorney for the government shall not be admissible against the defendant in any criminal or civil proceeding, except as otherwise provided in Fed. R. Crim. P. 11(e)(6). In addition, the defendant agrees that if it withdraws its guilty plea pursuant to this subparagraph of the Plea Agreement, the statute of limitations period for any offense referred to in Paragraph 15 of this Plea Agreement will be tolled for the period between the date of the signing of the Plea Agreement and the date the defendant withdrew its guilty plea or for a period of sixty (60) days after the date of the signing of the Plea Agreement, whichever period is greater.
13.	The defendant will cooperate fully and truthfully with the United States in the prosecution of this case, the conduct of the current federal investigation of violations of the federal antitrust and related criminal laws involving the manufacture and sale of choline chloride, any other federal investigation resulting therefrom, and any litigation or other proceedings arising or resulting from any such investigation to which the United States is a party ("Federal Proceeding"). The ongoing, full, and truthful cooperation of the defendant shall include, but not be limited to:
producing to the United States all documents, information, and other materials in the possession, custody, or control of the defendant requested by the United States in connection with any Federal Proceeding; and
using its best efforts to secure the ongoing, full, and truthful cooperation, as defined in Paragraph 14 of this Plea Agreement, of the current and former directors, officers, and employees of the defendant as may be requested by the United States, but excluding Lindell Hilling, John "Pete Fischer, Antonio Felix, Ernie Porta, and Daniel Rose, including making these persons available in the United States, at the defendant's expense, for interviews and the provision of testimony in grand jury, trial, and other judicial proceedings in connection with any Federal Proceeding.
producing in the United States all documents, including claimed personal documents, and other materials requested by attorneys and agents of the United States;
making himself or herself available for interviews in the United States, not at the expense of the United States, upon the request of attorneys and agents of the United States;
otherwise voluntarily providing the United States with any material or information not requested in (a) - (c) of this paragraph that he or she may have that is related to any such Federal Proceeding;
when called upon to do so by the United States in connection with any Federal Proceeding, testifying in grand jury, trial, or other proceedings in the United States fully, truthfully, and under oath, subject to the penalties of perjury (18 U.S.C. § 1621), making false statements or declarations in grand jury or court proceedings (18 U.S.C. § 1623), contempt (18 U.S.C. §§ 401-402), and obstruction of justice (18 U.S.C. § 1503); and
15.	Upon acceptance of the guilty plea called for by this Plea Agreement and the imposition of the recommended sentence, and subject to the cooperation requirement of Paragraph 13 of this Plea Agreement, the United States agrees that it will not bring further criminal charges against the defendant for any act or offense committed before the date of this Plea Agreement that was undertaken in furtherance of an antitrust conspiracy involving the manufacture or sale of choline chloride. The nonprosecution terms of this paragraph do not apply to civil matters of any kind, to any violation of the federal tax or securities laws, or to any crime of violence.
Upon the Court's acceptance of the guilty plea called for by this Plea Agreement and the imposition of the recommended sentence and subject to the exceptions noted in Paragraph 16(c), the United States will not bring criminal charges against any current or former director, officer, or employee of the defendant (excluding Lindell Hilling, John "Pete" Fischer, Antonio Felix, Ernie Porta, and Daniel Rose) for any act or offense committed before the date of this Plea Agreement and while that person was acting as a director, officer, or employee of the defendant that was undertaken in furtherance of an antitrust conspiracy involving the manufacture or sale of choline chloride ("Relevant Offense");
If any person requested to provide cooperation pursuant to Paragraph 16(b) fails to comply with his or her obligations under Paragraph 14, then the terms of this Plea Agreement as they pertain to that person, and the agreement not to prosecute that person granted in this Plea Agreement, shall be rendered void;
Except as provided in Paragraph 16(e), information provided by a person described in Paragraph 16(b) to the United States under the terms of this Plea Agreement pertaining to any Relevant Offense, or any information directly or indirectly derived from that information, may not be used against that person in a criminal case, except in a prosecution for perjury (18 U.S.C. § 1621), making a false statement or declaration (18 U.S.C. § 1623), or obstruction of justice (18 U.S.C. § 1503);
If any person who provides information to the United States under this Plea Agreement fails to comply fully with his or her obligations under Paragraph 14 of this Plea Agreement, the agreement in Paragraph 16(d) not to use that information or any information directly or indirectly derived from it, against that person in a criminal case shall be rendered void;
17.	The defendant understands that it may be subject to administrative action by federal or state agencies other than the United States Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, based upon the conviction resulting from this Plea Agreement, and that this Plea Agreement in no way controls whatever action, if any, other agencies may take. However, the United States agrees that, if requested, it will advise the appropriate officials of any governmental agency considering such administrative action of the fact, manner, and extent of the cooperation of the defendant as a matter for such agency to consider before determining what administrative action, if any, to take.
19.	The defendant's decision to enter into this Plea Agreement and tender a plea of guilty is freely and voluntarily made and is not the result of force, threats, assurances, promises, or representations other than the representations contained in this Plea Agreement. The United States has made no promises or representations to the defendant as to whether the Court will accept or reject the recommendations contained within this Plea Agreement.
20.	The defendant agrees that, should the United States determine in good faith, during the period any Federal Proceeding is pending, that the defendant has failed to provide full and truthful cooperation, as described in Paragraph 13 of this Plea Agreement, or has otherwise violated any provision of this Plea Agreement, the United States will notify counsel for the defendant in writing by personal or overnight delivery or facsimile transmission and may also notify counsel by telephone of its intention to void any of its obligations under this Plea Agreement (except its obligations under this paragraph), and the defendant shall be subject to prosecution for any federal crime of which the United States has knowledge including, but not limited to, the substantive offenses relating to the investigation resulting in this Plea Agreement. The defendant agrees that, in the event that the United States is released from its obligations under this Plea Agreement and brings criminal charges against the defendant for any offense referred to in Paragraph 15 of this Plea Agreement, the statute of limitations period for such offense will be tolled for the period between the date of the signing of this Plea Agreement and six (6) months after the date the United States gave notice of its intent to void its obligations under this Plea Agreement.
21.	The defendant understands and agrees that in any further prosecution of it resulting from the release of the United States from its obligations under this Plea Agreement, because of the defendant's violation of the Plea Agreement, any documents, statements, information, testimony, or evidence provided by it or current or former directors, officers, or employees of it to attorneys or agents of the United States, federal grand juries, or courts, and any leads derived therefrom, may be used against it in any such further prosecution. In addition, the defendant unconditionally waives its right to challenge the use of such evidence in any such further prosecution, notwithstanding the protections of Fed. R. Crim. P. 11(e)(6) and Fed. R. Evid. 410.
BY: _______________/s/_______________
DuCoa, L.P.
Counsel for DuCoa, L.P.
Guilfoil, Petzall, & Shoemake, L.L.C.
St. Louis, Missouri 63102-1822
Tel.: (314) 241-6890
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