Company Found Guilty Of Rat Philanthropy

By Sam Bakken in News on Jan 28, 2005 8:50PM

Yesterday a jury found LaGrou Distribution System Inc., a food storage warehouse at 2101 W. Pershing on the South Side, guilty of violating the U.S. meat and poultry acts, conspiring to violate federal laws and mail fraud. LaGrou is looking at up to $42 million in fines and the company's president, Jack Stewart, could see 19 years in the pen and up to $70 million in fines. Sentencing is scheduled for May 26.

According to testimony during the trial, the warehouse was an "all-you-could-eat buffet" and "amusement park" for rats. Is that so bad? The Norway Rat, apparently the most common in Chicago, only lives for 12 months. We think PETA should commend Stewart for his efforts to improve the quality of rat-life. JK. We hate those mothafuckas—the rats not PETA. No wait, we hate PETA too.

The verdict stems from a joint FDA and USDA investigation that found 22 million pounds of contaminated meat and poultry and ten million pounds of contaminated fish, nuts, butter and milk fat at the warehouse. They shut the warehouse down in 2002. The rats gnawed through and shat in food boxes and apparently Stewart knew about it, but didn't do enough to stop it. Stewart admitted that he wrote "MM" for "Mickey Mouse" on bills to customers to mark meat products that were contaminated by the rats. Prosecutors also said Stewart assigned some employees to a daily rat-detail to dispose of dead rats and feces. Candidate for worst job ever?

Stewart's defense claimed prosecutors were after the wrong guy. They say a "different" company, LaGrou Cold Storage Corp., was at fault. Both companies use the same marketing.

The warehouse stored food for Baskin Robbins, Wendy's, McDonald's, Wrigley Field and beer for Goose Island.

Here are some tips from the city on how to rat-proof your residence.