Washington, D.C., April 20, 2026 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on five produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). These sanctions include suspending the businesses’ PACA licenses and barring the businesses’ principal operators from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without USDA approval.
The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:
- Aspen Market Place, operating out of Hoboken, N.J., for failing to pay a $21,878 award in favor of a New York seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Cheol Kim was listed as the officer, director and/or major stockholder of the business.
- Bibis Produce LLC, operating out of New Hill, N.C., for failing to pay a $7,541 award in favor of a Minnesota seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Bibien P. Fragozo was listed as the manager/member of the business.
- Bifulcos Pickle Works LLC, operating out of Staten Island, N.Y., for failing to pay a $32,270 award in favor of a New York seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Douglas Bifulco was listed as the member/manager of the business.
- Champion Foods, Inc., operating out of Jacksonville, Fla., for failing to pay a $34,082 award in favor of a Pennsylvania seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Donna K. Buring was listed as the officer, director and major stockholder of the business.
- Jacobs Produce, operating out of Manteca, Calif., for failing to pay a $4,290 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Hector Jacobo was listed as the manager/member of the business.
- JES Foods Celina, Inc., operating out of Celina, Ohio, for failing to pay a $113,585 award in favor of a Pennsylvania seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Elaine R. Freed and William G. Freed were listed as the officers, directors and/or major stockholders of the business.
- JS Companies LLC, operating out of Fresno, Calif., for failing to pay a $126,727 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Jenna Scarborough, Jayda Scarborough, and Julia Scarborough were listed as the managers/members of the business.
- Mann Trading Inc., operating out of Brooklyn, N.Y., for failing to pay a $97,500 award in favor of a Michigan seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Soloman Evdaev was listed as the officer, director and/or major stockholder of the business.
- Moriah Produce, Inc., operating out of San Diego, Calif., for failing to pay a $90,095 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Sonia Gomez was listed as the officer, director and major stockholder of the business.
- Rancho Alegre Productos LLC, operating out of Auburn, Wash., for failing to pay a $12,290 award in favor of a Washington seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Luis Javier Sanchez Galarza was listed as the member/manager of the business.
- Waldwick Food Store Inc., operating out of Waldwick, N.J., for failing to pay a $99,253 award in favor of a New York seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Joseph Abdallah was listed as the officer, director and/or major stockholder of the business.
- Wholesome Line LLC, operating out of Irvine, Calif., for failing to pay a $44,679 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Mehrdad Haidari was listed as the member/manager of the business.
PACA provides an administrative forum to handle disputes involving produce transactions; this may result in USDA’s issuance of a reparation order that requires damages to be paid by those not meeting their contractual obligations in buying and selling fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. USDA is required to suspend the license or impose sanctions on an unlicensed business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors or major stockholders, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA approval.
By issuing these penalties, USDA continues to enforce the prompt and full payment for produce while protecting the rights of sellers and buyers in the marketplace.
For more information, contact Penny Robinson-Landrigan, Chief, Dispute Resolution Branch, at (202) 720-2890 or PACAdispute@usda.gov.
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The PACA Division, which is in the Fair Trade Practices Program in the Agricultural Marketing Service, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA, including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.