Agricultural Marketing Service : USDA Reaches a Consent Decision and Civil Penalty with Sisseton Livestock Inc. for P&S Act Violations

Release No.: 015-20

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2020 - As part of its commitment to ensuring fair and competitive markets for the livestock, meat and poultry industries, on Nov. 12, 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reached a consent decision against Sisseton Livestock Inc. (Sisseton) of Sisseton, S.D., for alleged violations of the Packers and Stockyards (P&S) Act.

An investigation by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service resulted in the issuance of an administrative complaint on April 16, 2019, against Sisseton for issuing false invoices in approximately 21 transactions.

Under the consent decision, Sisseton was assessed a civil penalty of $20,000 with $10,000 held in abeyance for two years pending satisfaction of the terms stated in the Order.

In addition, Sisseton, including its agents and employees, must cease and desist from engaging in deceptive and unfair practices, including:

• Issuing invoices that do not accurately represent the purchase or sale of livestock in any respect, including, but not limited to, the purchase price, weight, or status of consignment to the market.
• Issuing invoices that do not reflect the weight of livestock at the time the livestock was weighed on the market's scale.
• Issuing invoices that do not reflect actual animals sold or consigned.

The P&S Act is a fair trade practice and payment protection law that promotes fair and competitive marketing environments for the livestock, meat and poultry industries.

For further information about the P&S Act, contact Stuart Frank, Packers and Stockyards Division, at [phone], or by email at [e-mail].

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