Investigations

Silesia Flavorings, Inc. (SFI), the U.S. subsidiary of an international flavoring extracts company, and its Executive Vice President, Ortwin Winter, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Chicago in connection with the illegal transportation of flammable liquids on a commercial flight. SFI pled guilty conditionally to a felony count of transporting flammable liquids in violation of HazMat regulations (agreeing to a $130,000 fine), while Winter pled guilty to a misdemeanor of misbranding HazMat. Winter admitted that, in order to satisfy customer demand for quick delivery, he encouraged an SFI salesman, Juan Carlos Rodas-Misa, to place the flammable liquids in his personal luggage stowed on board the aircraft. Under the terms of the conditional guilty plea with SFI, the Government reserves the right to withdraw if a plea agreement is not reached with the remaining defendant, Rodas-Misa. Sentencing for both SFI and Winter is scheduled for July 27, 2005.