News — Enforcement
New England Meat’s QA officer pleads guilty in falsified tests case
Enforcement FalsifiedTesting LLC Memet NewEnglandMeatPacking
Debbie L. Smith, a quality control officer for New England Meat Packing LLC, has entered a guilty plea that could send her to federal prison for five years. Her sentencing is scheduled for December. Smith, 60, from Ellington, CT, plead guilty to falsifying E. coli tests required by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Her boss, Memet “Matt” Beqiri, owner of Connecticut’s New England Meat Packing LLC, pleaded guilty in August to submitting fraudulent E. coli tests. Beqiri, 32, is from Tolland, CT. By pleading guilty, Smith and Beqiri each gave up rights to trial and appeal. Beqiri is set...