Three men were indicted on charges of reaping huge profits by marketing a heavily adulterated liquid as pure unsweetened orange juice concentrate in 37 states over seven years.
U.S. Attorney Anton Valukas told a news conference Tuesday that the product marketed by Bodine's Inc. of Chicago from 1978 to 1985 contained 15 to 40 percent sugar and other artificial ingredients, including a waste byproduct from a water distillation company.At the time the adulterated frozen concentrate was being marketed, the defendants saw their company's profits rise from about $5 million a year to more than $100 million a year while marketing the substance as pure orange juice concentrate under 49 brand names in 37 states, Valukas said.
The owners of the company were charged with conspiracy and 18 separate material frauds.