CINCINNATI – A cattle dealer and hauler from Albany, Ohio, recently was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to charges of introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce and for making false statements to federal investigators, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced.

Cory Gillette was sentenced to five years of probation, a $1,000 fine and 150 hours of community service on charges that he presented cattle to slaughterhouses that tested positive for Gentamicin, a new animal drug that is a medically important antimicrobial prohibited in food intended for human consumption and not approved for use in cattle.

The offenses date back to April of 2014 when Gillette delivered an adulterated calf to Addison, Indiana, where it was to be slaughtered for human consumption, according to charges filed in the United States District Court in the Southern District of Ohio, Western Division. The calf tested positive for Gentamicin, and the case was referred to the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations for a follow-up investigation.

FDA said Gillette knowingly made false statements to an FDA investigator in January 2015 during a follow-up on-site investigation of Gillette’s farm. Gillette told the investigator that he purchased the calf at a livestock auction in Zanesville, Ohio. Gillette also falsely claimed that he had stopped dealing in livestock in 2014.

However, in 2017, during an inspection, Gillette admitted to buying sick calves and selling them for human consumption, FDA reported, and he failed to maintain any treatment records.

“As part of his plea, Gillette admitted he often bought injured, ill and potentially medicated animals at a discounted price with the intention of selling the animals to slaughter facilities and maximizing his profit,” said US Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman.

Gillette was charged in September 2018. He pleaded guilty to one count of introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce, a crime punishable by up to one year in prison, and one count of making false statements to federal agents, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison.

“The FDA, in partnership with the USDA, is vigilant in keeping antibiotics and other residual animal drugs out of the human food supply in the United States by carefully monitoring food-producing animals,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who put public health at risk by selling food-producing animals that do not meet federal standards.”