James Eldon Wilson, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama, announced that the Department of Justice has filed a felony information today charging Thomas Franklin White of Auburn, Alabama, former Branch Manager of Meadow Gold Dairies, Inc.'s, Opelika, Alabama branch, with bid rigging. The information charges White with having participated in a conspiracy to rig bids to county school systems and other educational institutions within East Central Alabama and West Central Georgia for the award and performances of contracts to supply milk to those county school systems and other educational institutions, in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act. The information changes that the conspiracy began at least as early as the early 1980's and continued at least through July 1989. Listed among the bids that were rigged were the 1987 and 1988 school year contracts for Lee County, Alabama and Muscogee County, Georgia.

The information was filed in the United States District Court in Montgomery, Alabama.

John W. Clark, Acting Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division, said the charges arose in connection with a grand jury investigation into collusive practices by dairy products suppliers in Alabama and Georgia. Clark said the investigation, being conducted by the Division's Atlanta Field Office, is continuing. This is the forth case filed in Alabama as a result of this investigation.

The maximum penalty for an individual convicted under the Sherman Act is a period of Incarceration of three years and the greatest of: a fine of $250,000; or twice the gross pecuniary gain derived from the crime; or twice the gross pecuniary loss caused to the victims of the crime.

Sentencing has been set before Chief United States District Judge Myron H. Thompson on June 17, 1993 at 10:00 a.m.