Washington, D.C. — The Department of Justice filed today a one-count felony information charging Fields & Company of Amarillo, Inc. with engaging in a combination and conspiracy to suppress and restrain competition by raising, fixing, and maintaining prices for the sale of wholesale plumbing supplies by the defendant and co-conspirators. The information, which was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas (Fort Worth Division) charged that the defendant conspired with others, from as early as September 1989 until at least December 1991, to raise, fix, and maintain prices for the sale of wholesale plumbing supplies sold by the defendant and others from their places of business in Amarillo, Texas, in violation of Section One of the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C.

The following related cases were filed December 9, 1994:

U.S. v. Gerald Brandt

U.S. v. Amarillo Winnelson Company, Inc.

U.S. v. Darrell Hawkins

U.S. v. Morrison Supply Company

Anne Bingaman, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division, said today's charge resulted from an ongoing grand jury investigation in Fort Worth, Texas, of suspected price fixing within the wholesale plumbing supply industry in Amarillo, Texas. The investigation is being conducted by the Antitrust Division's Dallas Field Office with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Amarillo Office.