A former meat plant employee was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison last week for altering laboratory records to suggest that products were contaminated, and making threats to management following his 2002 dismissal.


James Marsh had obtained copies of inspection reports that had been prepared by a testing firm hired by New Jersey-based Catelli Brothers, and altered the reports to make it appear as though the lab had found evidence of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella in veal and lamb samples.


He had also falsified his resume and threatened his employers with negative publicity leading to a massive recall after his actions were discovered.