The USDA has filed an administrative complaint against VIP Marketing Inc. for alleged violations of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.
The company, operating from California, allegedly failed to make payment promptly to three produce sellers in the amount of $408,983 from May 2021 through October 2021, according to a news release.
VIP Marketing Inc. will have an opportunity to request a hearing. Should USDA find that the company committed repeated and flagrant violations, it would be barred from the produce industry as a licensee for three years, or two years with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond, the release said. Furthermore, its principals could not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee for two years, or one year with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.
For more information, contact Corey Elliott, chief at the Investigative Enforcement Branch, at 202-720-6873 or [email protected].