Springfield man accused of organic corn fraud
Monday, November 14, 2011
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- A Springfield man accused of selling more than 4 million pounds of corn falsely labeled as organic is facing a federal wire fraud charge.
Documents filed this month in federal court in Eugene say Harold Allen Chase reaped an additional profit of nearly $200,000 by brokering the grain as organic.
Chase has not yet entered a plea. The Register Guard reports (http://bit.ly/suojml ) he's scheduled for arraignment and a change of plea hearing on Dec. 6. Such hearings typically indicate a plea deal.
Prosecutors say Chase sold the corn to Grain Millers, which sold it as organic feed for livestock. The grain was purchased from suppliers in Idaho and Eastern Washington but false paperwork indicated it came from an organic grower in Milton-Freewater.
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Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com
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