USDA Determines Individuals Not Responsibly Connected to Washington Violator

Date
Friday, January 8, 2021 - 2:00pm
Contact Info
Release No.
004-21

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has determined that Eloiza Nunez Ramirez, Jose A. Ramirez, Antonio Benitez, Tomasa Rivera Granados, Raul Martinez, Omar P. Polito and Alverto Rivera are not responsibly connected to Organic Fruit Markets LLC, operating out of Oroville, Wash. This is an update to Press Release No: 153-20 issued on Sept 24, 2020.

Organic Fruit Markets LLC violated the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) by failing to pay a reparation award in the amount of $19,231 in September 2020. As a result, USDA imposed sanctions on the business, including requiring that all principals may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA approval.

USDA made an initial determination that Eloiza Nunez Ramirez, Jose A. Ramirez, Antonio Benitez, Tomasa Rivera Granados, Raul Martinez, Omar P. Polito and Alverto Rivera were responsibly connected to Organic Fruit Markets LLC and subject to sanction. These individuals contested this initial determination and USDA has now determined that they were not responsibly connected to Organic Fruit Markets LLC at the time of the violation.

As a result, Eloiza Nunez Ramirez, Jose A. Ramirez, Antonio Benitez, Tomasa Rivera Granados, Raul Martinez, Omar P. Polito and Alverto Rivera may be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee.

For further information, contact Corey Elliott, Chief, Investigative Enforcement Branch, at (202) 720-6873 or PACAInvestigations@usda.gov.

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. In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,625 PACA claims involving more than $104 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 7,600 callers with issues valued at approximately $166 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.

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