WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A former Dallas bakery executive was charged today by the Department of Justice with making false statements to a federal grand jury about discussions he had with competitors about raising prices for bread and bread products.

Anne K. Bingaman, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division, said the charge resulted from an investigation by a grand jury in Dallas into suspected price fixing and bid rigging in the wholesale bread and bread products industry in Texas.

The Department's Antitrust Division filed a criminal charge in U.S. District Court in Dallas, against Charles W. Johnson of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, charging that he made false declarations to a Dallas grand jury on June 29, 1995. Johnson is a former president of Campbell Taggart Baking Companies Inc.'s Dallas bakery and its predecessor, Manor Baking Company of Dallas, also known as Dallas Rainbo bakery.

The Department said that Johnson discussed the prices charged for bread and bread products sold by Dallas Rainbo bakery with its competitors. Johnson also discussed raising and coordinating the prices to be charged for bread and bread products by the Dallas Rainbo bakery and its competitors with employees of competing bakeries.

The investigation is being conducted by the Antitrust Division's Dallas Field Office with the assistance of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General.

The maximum penalty for an individual convicted of making false declarations to a grand jury is five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

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