Public Affairs
WASHINGTON, August 1, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued an administrative complaint against Lake Odessa Livestock Auction Inc. (Lake Odessa) and its owner, Laverne Lettinga (Lettinga) of Lake Odessa, Mich., on July 24, 2023, for alleged violations of the Packers and Stockyards (P&S) Act.
An investigation by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) revealed that Lake Odessa and Lettinga failed to properly maintain its custodial account resulting in custodial shortages of $457,693 on Dec. 31, 2019, $432,070 on Jan. 31, 2020, and $390,512 on Feb. 28, 2020. The shortages were due, in part, to misuse and failure to deposit into the custodial account an amount equal to the proceeds received from the sale of consigned livestock.
A custodial account is a trust account designated for shippers’ proceeds from the sale of livestock in trust for sellers. Failure to reimburse the custodial account timely is a violation of the Packers & Stockyards Act and regulations.
The P&S Act authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to assess civil penalties up to $33,896 per violation against any person after notice and opportunity for a hearing on the record. If the allegations are admitted or proven in an oral hearing, Lake Odessa and Lettinga may be ordered to cease and desist from violating the (P&S) Act and assessed a civil penalty.
The P&S Act is a fair trade practice and payment protection law that promotes fair and competitive marketing environments for the livestock, meat, and poultry industries.
For further information about the Packers and Stockyards Act, contact Dora Malykin, Packers and Stockyards Division, at (202) 720-7051 or by email at dora.malykin@usda.gov.
#
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
Get the latest Agricultural Marketing Service news at www.ams.usda.gov/news or follow us on Twitter
@USDA_AMS. You can also read about us on the USDA blog.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender