WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has cited J.E. Corcoran Company, Crafton, PA, for failure to pay for produce.
According to a recent USDA press release, the company failed to pay $2,521,981 to 41 sellers for 585 lots of produce from December 2014 to June 2016. This is in violation of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). As a result of these actions, J.E. Corcoran Company cannot operate in the produce industry until February 21, 2020, at which time it may reapply for a PACA license.
The company’s principals, Anthony J. Vivirito, Jr., Anthony P. Vivirito and Linda V. Sasinoski, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee until February 21, 2019, and then only with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.
USDA is required to publish the finding that a business has committed willful, repeated, and flagrant violations of PACA as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business during the violation period. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA-approval.
The PACA Division, which is part of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA includes buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,400 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 8,500 callers with issues valued at approximately $151 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
