Las Vegas toxic pet food importers get probation

Page Last Updated: Monday February 8, 2010 6:18am PST

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Federal prosecutors say a Las Vegas-based company and its owners have been sentenced to three years probation for distributing a toxic pet food ingredient.

Prosecutors in Kansas City say 43-year-old Sally Qing Miller and 57-year-old Stephen S. Miller also must pay a $5,000 fine, and their company, Chemnutra Inc., must pay $25,000.

The Millers imported over 800 metric tons of Chinese wheat gluten contaminated with melamine and sold it to pet food manufacturers.

Thousands of cats and dogs reportedly became sick or died from the contaminated gluten, leading to the nationwide recall of more than 150 pet food brands in 2007.

The court said the Millers won't have to pay further restitution because of a $24 million settlement in a related civil suit in New Jersey.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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