Nebraska Beef, Ltd. and 2 Former Employees Sentenced for USDA Violations

Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Nebraska Beef Ltd., an Omaha, Nebraska, food processing company, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for false representation relating to agricultural grading records. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Nebraska Beef to 1 year of probation. Nebraska Beef was ordered to pay a $200,000 fine.  Nebraska Beef also paid a $550,000 fine as part of a civil settlement with the government for its conduct.  

On June 3, 2016, Nebraska Beef was served with a United States District Court, District of Nebraska, Grand Jury Subpoena and was ordered to produce grading records for thirty (30) carcasses of beef. In response to the Grand Jury Subpoena, a Nebraska Beef Corporate Officer altered the grading records for the thirty (30) carcasses of beef.  After June 8, 2016, the Nebraska Beef Corporate Officer provided the altered grading records in printed form to attorneys for Nebraska Beef for delivery to the Grand Jury in response to the June 3, 2016, Grand Jury Subpoena.  On June 13, 2016, the United States Attorney’s Office was provided the altered June 2, 2016, grading records. 

Previously, on May 6, 2022, Dolese Tippery, 61, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, a former employee of Nebraska Beef, was sentenced in federal court in Omaha for false representation relating to agricultural grading records. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Tippery to 6 months of probation. Tippery was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.

Tippery admitted in her Plea Agreement that on March 20, 2017, in response to a Grand Jury subpoena issued by the United States Attorney’s Office, she testified on behalf of Nebraska Beef that Nebraska Beef’s grading records previously provided to the United States Attorney’s Office were not altered, which was untrue. 

On September 9, 2022, James Timmerman, 50, of Omaha, Nebraska, former Chief Financial Officer of Nebraska Beef, was also sentenced in federal court in Omaha for false representation relating to agricultural grading records. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Timmerman to 2 years of probation. Timmerman was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.

This case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.