USDA Restricts PACA Violators in California, Connecticut and Florida from Operating in the Produce Industry

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on four produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). These sanctions include suspending the businesses’ PACA licenses and barring the principal operators of the businesses from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without approval from USDA.

The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:

• Richard Fahoum, doing business as All American Distributing Co., operating out of Visalia, Calif., for failing to pay a $168,629 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Richard S. Fahoum was listed as the sole proprietor of the business.

• The Italian Scallion LLC, operating out of New Haven, Conn., for failing to pay a $2,500 award in favor of a New York seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Salvatore Orlando Sampieri was listed as the member of the business.

• WWD Fruits LLC, doing business as B Fruits, operating out of Miami, Fla., for failing to pay a $60,725 award in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Damian V. Segal was listed as the manager/member of the business.

• Dominic Produce LLC, operating out of Miami, Fla., for failing to pay a $5,706 award in favor of a Florida seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Solanyi Garcia and Felix G. Garcia were listed as managers of the business.

PACA provides an administrative forum to handle disputes involving produce transactions; this may result in USDA’s issuance of a reparation order that requires damages to be paid by those not meeting their contractual obligations in buying and selling fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. USDA is required to suspend the license or impose sanctions on an unlicensed business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors or major stockholders, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA approval.

By issuing these penalties, USDA continues to enforce the prompt and full payment for produce while protecting the rights of sellers and buyers in the marketplace.

For more information, contact Penny Robinson-Landrigan, Chief, Dispute Resolution Branch, at (202) 720-2890 or PACAdispute@usda.gov.

The PACA Division, which is in the Fair Trade Practices Program in the Agricultural Marketing Service, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA, including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry. In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,000 PACA claims involving more than $147 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 5,900 callers with issues valued at approximately $163 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.

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