Articles Posted in DOJ Antitrust Highlights

On October 6, 2008, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) entered into a settlement agreement requiring The Manitowoc Company (“Manitowoc”) to divest its entire U.S. ice machine business to allow its $2.7 billion acquisition of Enodis Plc (“Enodis”) to proceed. Manitowoc and Enodis are two of the only three manufacturers of commercial cube ice machines in…

On October 1, 2008, four U.S. shipping company executives including Peter Baci of Jacksonville, FL, Kevin Gill and Gregory Glova of Charlotte, NC, and Gabriel Serra of San Juan, Puerto Rico pled guilty for their role in a broad conspiracy to rig bids, fix prices, and allocate market share for customers transporting goods between the…

On September 30, 2008, Keith Packer, former executive of British Airways World Cargo, agreed to plead guilty, serve eight months in prison, and pay a $20,000 criminal fine for his role in a wide-ranging conspiracy to fix rates for international air cargo shipments including to and from the United States. Mr. Packer is the first…

On Septmeber 19, 2008, Kwik-Chek Food Stores, Inc., a Texas based convenience store and one of its agents, Jarrod Thomas, were charged for conspiring to fix retail gasoline and diesel fuel prices sold in Antler, OK. The conspiracy took place from early 2002 to June 2007. Kwik-Chek, based in Bonham, Texas, distributes and sells gasoline…

On September 10, 2008, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) charged Lindsey B. Holt, president of Architectural Products Co. Inc., Humberto Lopez, vice president of El Paso Steel Doors and Frames, Inc. and their respective companies with conspiracy to rig bids and allocate customers for certain contracts for sale of doors and other hardware for various…

On August 28, 2008, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) approved Raycom Media, Inc.’s (“Raycom”) acquisition of Richmond NBC affiliate, WWBT-TV from Lincoln Financial Media Company (“Lincoln”) after entering into a settlement agreement requiring Raycom to divest its Richmond CBS affiliate WTVR-TV to resolve antitrust concerns. This acquisition would have resulted in Raycom owning two of…

On August 26, 2008, Edward P. Goldblatt pled guilty to fraud and tax evasion as a former purchasing warehouse assistant at the New York Power Authority (“NYPA”). Headquartered in Albany, NY, the NYPA is a non-profit energy corporation established by the State of New York providing low cost power to government agencies, municipalities, and private…

On July 31, 2008, Bennet Environmental Inc. (“BEI”), a Canadian soil treatment company, pled guilty and agreed to pay $1 million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) at a EPA designated Superfund site, Federal Creosote in Manville, NJ.According to the charges, BEI inflated prices to…

On July 29, 2008, Paul Wilkinson and Christopher Cartwright, two U.S. Department of Defense (“DOD”) contractors, pled guilty to defraud the United States, commit wire fraud and steal trade secrets from Matthew Bittenbender, another U.S. DOD contractor.In a three-count indictment returned on Dec. 5, 2007, and unsealed in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, Christopher Cartwright…

On June 28, 2008, Manuli Rubber Industries SpA (“Manuli”), an Italian marine hose manufacturer, and Robert L. Furness, the former president of Manuli’s subsidiary Plantation, pled guilty for their role in a worldwide conspiracy to rig bids, fix prices, and allocate market share in the marine hose industry. Manuli agreed to pay $2 million in…