Tyson Pleads Not Guilty to Conspiracy Charges

After being charged by the United States Department of Justice for conspiring to violate immigration laws, Tyson Foods, Inc. released two letters from the DOJ which it says clearly demonstrate the company was not part of a corporate conspiracy, contradicting the government's charges.

Tyson pled not guilty to all charges in Federal Court that allege it was smuggling in illegal Mexican workers to work in its processing plants, and released two DOJ letters in its defense.

The DOJ letters, sent to Tyson in 2000 and 2002, notify the company of a government inquiry into allegations that Tyson is "too closely scrutinizing certain employee verification documents." Tyson notes that one of the plants in question is the same plant that is under investigation in the undercover operation looking into the violation of immigration laws.

"This is the ultimate Catch-22," says Ken Kimbro, Tyson's senior vice president of human resources. "The government is trying to have it both ways?they are alleging that Tyson conspired to hire undocumented workers, but at the same time they are accusing the company of scrutinizing workers' documents too closely."

He continues, "These letters clearly demonstrate that there was no 'corporate conspiracy' at Tyson Foods. In fact, the evidence overwhelmingly shows that the vast majority of our plants complied strictly with all laws. The government's allegations are unfounded, and Tyson Foods will vigorously defend itself against all charges."

The government indictment names only 15 individuals hired at a single plant, which Tyson says "were delivered by government undercover agents." The company currently employs 120,000 people at 130 plants across the nation.

"It's important to note that the individuals employed as a result of the undercover operation were treated exactly the same as all Tyson team members," says Kimbro. "They were paid above minimum wage and provided with full benefits, including health insurance. In addition, each of the plants involved is covered by a collective bargaining agreement."