El Ranchito Corporation Pleads Guilty To Serving Adulterated Pork To Customers

Natchez, Miss - El Ranchito Corporation, of Tickfaw, LA, entered a guilty plea and was sentenced on February 25, 2014 before U.S. Senior District Court Judge David C. Bramlette III for transporting adulterated meat, announced U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis. El Ranchito Corporation was fined $6,000 dollars and placed on one year probation.

The investigation in this case revealed that Joel Cervantes, who was previously convicted of inhumanely slaughtering animals, was the President of El Ranchito Corporation. El Ranchito is a Mexican Restaurant located in Tickfaw, Louisiana and incorporated in the State of Louisiana. Cervantes owned land in Magnolia, Mississippi near Highway 51 where he kept swine for the purpose of supplying El Ranchito Corporation with pork. Cervantes routinely butchered swine in unsanitary conditions, and then transported the meat from Magnolia, Mississippi to El Ranchito restaurant in Tickfaw, LA. The meat was then sold to the customers of El Ranchito. In all approximately 6,771 pounds of adulterated pork was sold to customers of El Ranchito.

This case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon.