apnews.com Open in urlscan Pro
34.111.72.3  Public Scan

Form analysis
2 forms found in the DOM

https://apnews.com/search#nt=navsearch

<form class="SearchOverlay-search-form" action="https://apnews.com/search#nt=navsearch" novalidate="" autocomplete="off">
  <label class="SearchOverlay-search-label">
    <input placeholder="Keyword Search..." type="text" class="SearchOverlay-search-input" name="q" required="true">
    <span class="sr-only"> Search Query </span>
    <button type="submit" class="SearchOverlay-search-submit">
      <svg>
        <use xlink:href="#icon-magnify"></use>
      </svg>
      <span class="sr-only">Submit Search</span>
    </button>
  </label>
</form>

<form id="adl-user-report-form" novalidate="">
  <div style="padding:0; margin: 0 0 0;">
    <div style="width:100%;display:none;height: 35px;line-height:35px;font-size:13px;padding:0 12px;color:white;background-color:#FF3860;border-radius:2px;margin-bottom:10px; " id="adl-category-error">Please make a selection.</div>
    <label style="display: block;line-height: 0; font-size: 16px; margin: 15px 0 15px;">
      <input style="margin:0 8px 0 0;vertical-align: middle;transform: translateY(-0.15em);-webkit-appearance: radio;box-sizing: border-box;" type="radio" name="category" value="Plays Sound" required=""> Plays sound </label>
    <label style="display: block;line-height: 0; font-size: 16px; margin: 15px 0 15px;">
      <input style="margin:0 8px 0 0;vertical-align: middle;transform: translateY(-0.15em);-webkit-appearance: radio;box-sizing: border-box;" type="radio" name="category" value="Adult Content" required=""> Contains adult content </label>
    <label style="display: block;line-height: 0; font-size: 16px; margin: 15px 0 15px;">
      <input style="margin:0 8px 0 0;vertical-align: middle;transform: translateY(-0.15em);-webkit-appearance: radio;box-sizing: border-box;" type="radio" name="category" value="Covers the Page" required=""> Covers the page </label>
    <label style="display: block;line-height: 0; font-size: 16px; margin: 15px 0 15px;">
      <input style="margin:0 8px 0 0;vertical-align: middle;transform: translateY(-0.15em);-webkit-appearance: radio;box-sizing: border-box;" type="radio" name="category" value="Other" required=""> Other </label>
    <h2 style="font-size:20px;font-weight:bold;color:rgb(58,58,58);text-align:left;margin:25px 0 15px;">Additional Information</h2>
    <div style="width:100%;display:none;height: 35px;line-height:35px;font-size:13px;padding:0 12px;color:white;background-color:#FF3860;border-radius:2px;margin-bottom:10px; " id="adl-text-minlen-error">Please help us by describing the ad.</div>
    <div style="width:100%;display:none;height: 35px;line-height:35px;font-size:13px;padding:0 12px;color:white;background-color:#FF3860;border-radius:2px;margin-bottom:10px; " id="adl-text-maxlen-error">Only 500 characters are allowed.</div>
    <textarea id="adl-user-feedback" style="box-sizing:border-box;resize: none; margin:0;width:100%;font-size:14px;line-height:18px;height:100px;border:1px solid #B0B0B0;padding:11px 15px;border-radius:2px;" minlength="3" maxlength="500"
      placeholder="What does the ad say, who is the advertiser, what does the ad look like?" name="user_feedback"></textarea>
  </div>
  <button type="button"
    style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;margin: 20px auto 0;width:200px;cursor:pointer;background-color:#7c6bf7;display:block;color:#fff;border-radius:2px;border:none;padding:15px 40px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;box-sizing:border-box;font-size:16px;"
    id="adl-report-ad-modal__submit-button">Report ad</button>
</form>

Text Content

Enable accessibility

Advertisement


Menu

Menu
 * U.S.
 * World
 * Politics
 * Video
 * Spotlight
 * Entertainment
 * Sports
 * Business
 * Science
 * Fact Check
 * Climate
 * Health
 * Photography
 * Oddities
 * Tech
 * Lifestyle
 * Religion
 * Press Releases
 * ...
   
    * U.S.
    * World
      
       * Russia-Ukraine War
       * Latin America
       * Europe
       * Africa
       * Middle East
       * Asia Pacific
       * U.S. News
       * Australia
       * China
   
    * Politics
      
       * Joe Biden
       * Election 2024
       * Congress
   
    * Video
    * Spotlight
    * Entertainment
      
       * Movie reviews
       * Book reviews
       * Celebrity
       * Television
       * Music
   
    * Sports
      
       * MLB
       * NFL
       * NHL
       * NBA
       * WNBA
       * Soccer
       * Tennis
       * Golf
   
    * Business
      
       * Inflation
       * Financial Markets
       * Business Highlights
   
    * Science
    * Fact Check
    * Climate
      
       * Wildfires
       * Floods
   
    * Health
    * Photography
    * Oddities
    * Tech
      
       * Artificial Intelligence
       * Social Media
   
    * Lifestyle
      
       * Gardening
       * Food
       * Fashion
       * Entertainment
   
    * Religion
    * Press Releases

Search Query Submit Search
Show Search
 * U.S.
 * World
   
    * Russia-Ukraine War
    * Latin America
    * Europe
    * Africa
    * Middle East
    * Asia Pacific
    * U.S. News
    * Australia
    * China

 * Politics
   
    * Joe Biden
    * Election 2024
    * Congress

 * Video
 * Spotlight
 * Entertainment
   
    * Movie reviews
    * Book reviews
    * Celebrity
    * Television
    * Music

 * Sports
   
    * MLB
    * NFL
    * NHL
    * NBA
    * WNBA
    * Soccer
    * Tennis
    * Golf

 * Business
   
    * Inflation
    * Financial Markets
    * Business Highlights

 * Science
 * Fact Check
 * Climate
   
    * Wildfires
    * Floods

 * Health
 * Photography
 * Oddities
 * Tech
   
    * Artificial Intelligence
    * Social Media

 * Lifestyle
   
    * Gardening
    * Food
    * Fashion
    * Entertainment

 * Religion
 * Press Releases
 * 
 * The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to
   factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source
   of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of
   the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the
   world’s population sees AP journalism every day.
   
 *  * twitter
    * instagram
    * facebook

 * 
 * The Associated Press
    * ap.org
    * Careers
    * Accessibility Statement
    * Your Privacy Rights
    * Terms of Use
    * Manage My Personal Data

 * 
 * More From AP News
   
    * About
    * AP News Values and Principles
    * AP’s Role in Elections
    * AP Leads
    * AP Definitive Source Blog
    * AP Images Spotlight Blog
    * AP Stylebook

 * 

 * Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Yankees perfect game
Titan remains recovered
Wildfire summer
Amtrak derailment
Gravitational waves
Education


NYC’S EX-SCHOOL FOOD CHIEF CONVICTED IN BRIBERY CASE TIED TO ICKY CHICKEN
TENDERS

FILE - Eric Goldstein, Chief Executive, Office of School Support Services, New
York City Department of Education, speaks during a discussion with other school
leaders and experts surrounding school nutrition in an event in the Eisenhower
Executive Office Building on the White House complex, May 27, 2014. Goldstein,
who oversaw food service for New York City schools, was convicted Wednesday,
June 28, 2023, in a bribery case that picked apart how chicken tenders riddled
with bone and bits of metal were served for months in the nation’s biggest
public school system. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

–

ASSOCIATED PRESS

By JENNIFER PELTZ
Published [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Published
11:31 PM GMT, June 28, 2023
Share
Share
 * Copy
   Link copied
 * Email
 * Facebook
 * Twitter
 * Print



NEW YORK (AP) — A man who oversaw food service for New York City schools was
convicted Wednesday in a bribery case that picked apart how chicken tenders
riddled with bone and bits of metal were served for months in the nation’s
biggest public school system.

Former city Department of Education official Eric Goldstein and three men who
founded a school food vendor — Blaine Iler, Michael Turley and Brian Twomey —
were found guilty of bribery, conspiracy and other charges after a monthlong
trial.

It delved into school menus, from yogurt parfait to ravioli. And the trial gave
jurors a stomach-churning look at what some students and school staffers
encountered when a brand called Chickentopia turned up on their plates in 2016
and 2017.

Other news
Ohio froze an ex-utility regulator’s $8 million in assets. Lawyers disagree over
whether it’s legal
Lawyers disagree over whether $8 million in assets held by the former chairman
of Ohio’s Public Utilities Commission should have been frozen.


“Our children depended on nutritious meals served in schools and, instead, got
substandard food products containing pieces of plastic, metal and bones,”
Brooklyn-based U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement Wednesday. He
called the case “a textbook example of choosing greed” over children’s
well-being.

Goldstein’s attorney, Kannan Sundaram, declined to comment. Messages seeking
comment were sent to the city Education Department and to attorneys for Iler and
Twomey, both from Dallas, and Turley, of Fayetteville, Arkansas.



The charges carry the potential for 20 years in prison. No date has yet been set
for sentencing.

As head of the school system’s Office of School Support Services from 2008 to
2018, Goldstein oversaw functions including the food service operation, known as
SchoolFood. Iler, Twomey and Turley had a company, SOMMA Food Group, with its
eye on the New York City school system.

Around the same time, the three men and Goldstein formed another company to
import grass-fed beef. Prosecutors argued that the venture amounted to a conduit
for paying Goldstein off.

The SOMMA founders “made sure that they got the key decision-maker at SchoolFood
in their pocket so that he would make sure that the D.O.E. served a lot of their
food products,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Zuckerwise said in a closing
argument this week. “Eric Goldstein got what he wanted, too. He cashed in the
power and the resources and the influence of his office to enrich himself.”



According to prosecutors, Iler, Turley and Twomey paid thousands of dollars to
Goldstein and his divorce lawyer. Meanwhile, Goldstein helped ensure that the
school system bought Chickentopia items and other SOMMA products, sometimes on a
fast track.

Then, in September 2016, SOMMA hit a snag: A school system employee choked on a
bone in a supposedly boneless Chickentopia chicken tender and needed the
Heimlich maneuver, according to documents presented at the trial. For a time,
the schools stopped serving the company’s chicken tenders.

They were allowed back two months later — a day after the SOMMA founders agreed
to pay Goldstein $66,670 and gave him their shares of the beef business.
Goldstein then signed off on reintroducing Chickentopia products, prosecutors
said.

The tenders reappeared. So did complaints about foreign objects in them.
SchoolFood ultimately ditched SOMMA products in April 2017, according to
prosecutors.

Goldstein testified that he couldn’t singlehandedly get a product purchased,
saying that the “heavily gated process” could involve a dozen decision-makers.
Fast-tracking didn’t mean skipping steps, he said.

He insisted that he was careful to separate his personal business from his city
work.



“I always made sure that my D.O.E. responsibilities came first,” he told jurors.

His defense rebuffed the argument that the payments from his beef business
partners were bribes, saying the sums were for such things as reimbursing travel
expenses.


    
by Taboola by Taboola 
You May Like

NASCAR great Jimmie Johnson’s in-laws found shot to death in Oklahoma


Undo

hear.comAd Content


Advertisement Experts Agree: This Is The Best Hearing Aid You Can Get In The
UShear.com:
Advertisement Advertisement 


Undo

2nd Missouri man sentenced in death of woman who was caged, dismembered


Undo

Ohio mom charged in death of toddler left alone for 10 days, prosecutors say


Undo

White Florida woman charged with manslaughter in shooting of Black neighbor


Undo


' ' '
' ' '


Lawyer tied to rapes by DNA left on drinking glass is accused of 5 more attacksA
New Jersey lawyer recently charged with sexually assaulting four women in Boston
15 years ago has been indicted on suspicion of five additional attacks during
the same time period.AP News


Undo

Chicago mother sues city after murder charges were dropped against her and her
sonA Chicago mother who was accused of telling her teen son to shoot a man at a
fast food restaurant is suing the city and arresting officers, a day after
murder charges against her and her son were dropped.AP News


Undo


Ad Content
Advertisement: Vibriance

Use This 1 Vitamin, Watch Your Crepey Skin TightenAdvertisement: Vibriance


Undo
Advertisement: Gundry MD


Heart Surgeon Begs Americans: “Stop Doing This To Your Fruit”Advertisement:
Gundry MD


Undo
Advertisement: StuffAnswered

Can Dental Implants for Seniors Be Paid For By Medicare? (See How)Advertisement:
StuffAnsweredLearn More


Undo


Ad Content
Advertisement: Yeah Motor

Local Man's Strange Truck Makes HeadlinesAdvertisement: Yeah MotorClick Here


Undo
Advertisement: Electric Car Deals

Completely New Electric Cars for Seniors - The Prices Might Surprise
YouAdvertisement: Electric Car Deals


Undo
Advertisement: nation

Seniors May Be Eligible For New $3.1 Billion In Window Replacement
FundingAdvertisement: nationLearn More


Undo

Advertisement: nation

These Tree Removal Prices That Will Leave You in DisbeliefPerform A Simple
Search On The Next Page To See Tree Removal Deals Near YouAdvertisement:
nationLearn More


Undo
Advertisement: Electric Cars | Search Ads

New Electric Cars Cost Almost Nothing (Take A Look)Advertisement: Electric Cars
| Search AdsClick Here


Undo


Ad Content
Advertisement: Gundry MD


Heart Surgeon Begs Americans: “Stop Doing This To Your Berries”Advertisement:
Gundry MDLearn More


Undo
Advertisement: Seekify Searches

Here is the real cost of full mouth dental implants in 2023Advertisement:
Seekify Searches


Undo
Advertisement: Money Pop

A Mansion Was On The Market For $10, But Nobody Wanted It. Here's
WhyAdvertisement: Money Pop


Undo








Advertisement


by Taboolaby Taboola
You May Like
StuffAnswered

5.5% High Interest Savings AccountsStuffAnswered
:Advertisement:Advertisement
Learn More


Undo
Finance Wealth Post

Gwen Stefani, 53, Takes Off Makeup, Leaves Us With No WordsFinance Wealth Post
:Advertisement:Advertisement


Undo
Best Hyundai Deals | Search Ads

The New Hyundai Ioniq Is A Jaw DropperBest Hyundai Deals | Search Ads
:Advertisement:Advertisement
Learn More


Undo
High Yield Savings | Search Ads

5.5% High Interest Savings Accounts. Find The Highest Savings Interest RatesHigh
Yield Savings | Search Ads
:Advertisement:Advertisement


Undo


The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to
factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of
fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the
technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s
population sees AP journalism every day.
 * The Associated Press
    * ap.org
    * Careers
    * Accessibility Statement
    * Your Privacy Rights
    * Terms of Use
    * Manage My Personal Data

 * More From AP News
    * About
    * AP News Values and Principles
    * AP’s Role in Elections
    * AP Leads
    * AP Definitive Source Blog
    * AP Images Spotlight Blog
    * AP Stylebook

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

 * twitter
 * instagram
 * facebook


DO NOT SELL OR SHARE MY PERSONAL DATA




 * YOUR PRIVACY


 * STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES


 * OPT OUT OF SALE OF SHARING/TARGETED ADVERTISING

YOUR PRIVACY

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect
information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or
your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to
provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow
certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the
services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find
out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You
cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are
deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as
prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your
account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the
First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.
More information

STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES

Always Active

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched
off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you
which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy
preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block
or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

OPT OUT OF SALE OF SHARING/TARGETED ADVERTISING

Opt Out of Sale of Sharing/Targeted Advertising Active


As a California consumer, you have the right to opt-out from the sale or sharing
of your personal information at any time across business platform, services,
businesses and devices. You can opt-out of the sale and sharing of your personal
information by using this toggle switch. As a Virginia, Utah, Colorado and
Connecticut consumer, you have the right to opt-out from the sale of your
personal data and the processing of your personal data for targeted advertising.
You can opt-out of the sale of your personal data and targeted advertising by
using this toggle switch. For more information on your rights as a United States
consumer see our privacy notice.

 * TARGETING COOKIES
   
   Switch Label label
   
   These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They
   may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show
   you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal
   information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet
   device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted
   advertising.

 * PERFORMANCE COOKIES
   
   Switch Label label
   
   These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure
   and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are
   the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All
   information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If
   you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our
   site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.

Back Button


COOKIE LIST

Filter Button
Consent Leg.Interest
checkbox label label
checkbox label label
checkbox label label

Clear
checkbox label label
Apply Cancel
Confirm My Choices
Reject All Allow All





WHY ARE YOU REPORTING THIS AD?

Please make a selection.
Plays sound Contains adult content Covers the page Other


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Please help us by describing the ad.
Only 500 characters are allowed.
Report ad

Thank you for letting us know.

Powered by
×
More stories to check out before you go


Keep on reading


NASCAR great Jimmie Johnson’s in-laws found shot to death in OklahomaPolice in
Muskogee, Oklahoma, are investigating the shooting deaths of three relatives of
NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson.AP News
Group 3


Undo

2nd Missouri man sentenced in death of woman who was caged, dismemberedOne of
two Missouri men charged in the death of a woman who was kept in a cage and
later dismembered has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to
first-degree murder.AP News
Group 3


Undo

Ohio mom charged in death of toddler left alone for 10 days, prosecutors
sayProsecutors in Ohio have announced murder charges against a woman in the
death of her 16-month-old daughter.AP News
Group 3


Undo

White Florida woman charged with manslaughter in shooting of Black neighborA
white woman accused of firing through her door and fatally shooting a Black
mother in front of her 9-year-old son in central Florida has been formally
charged with manslaughter and assault.AP News
Group 3


Undo

' ' '
' ' '


Lawyer tied to rapes by DNA left on drinking glass is accused of 5 more attacksA
New Jersey lawyer recently charged with sexually assaulting four women in Boston
15 years ago has been indicted on suspicion of five additional attacks during
the same time period.AP News


Undo

Advertisement: Vibriance

Use This 1 Vitamin, Watch Your Crepey Skin TightenAdvertisement: Vibriance


Undo
Advertisement: Gundry MD


Heart Surgeon Begs Americans: “Stop Doing This To Your Fruit”The top 3 common
foods that you would have never guessed were the cause of your
fatigue.Advertisement: Gundry MD


Undo


Supreme Court solidifies protections for workers who ask for religious
accommodationsThe Supreme Court is using the case of a Christian mailman who
didn’t want to work Sundays to solidify protections for workers who are
religious.AP News


Undo

Chicago mother sues city after murder charges were dropped against her and her
sonA Chicago mother who was accused of telling her teen son to shoot a man at a
fast food restaurant is suing the city and arresting officers, a day after
murder charges against her and her son were dropped.AP News


Undo

Utah woman accused of killing husband after writing book about grief is sued for
over $13 millionA lawsuit against a Utah woman who wrote a children's book about
grief after her husband's death and now stands charged with his murder is
seeking over $13 million in damages.AP News


Undo


Prosecutors seek the death penalty against man accused of slaying of 4
University of Idaho studentsProsecutors say they are seeking the death penalty
against a man accused of stabbing four University of Idaho students to death
late last year.AP News


Undo

Indiana man confessed to murders of teenage girls in phone call with his wife,
documents sayAn Indiana man charged with killing two teenage girls confessed
multiple times to the murders in a phone call to his wife while in prison.AP
News


Undo

StuffAnswered

Can Dental Implants for Seniors Be Paid For By Medicare? (See How)StuffAnswered
:Advertisement:Advertisement
Learn More


Undo
Yeah Motor

Local Man's Strange Truck Makes HeadlinesYeah Motor
:Advertisement:Advertisement
Click Here


Undo


DeSantis, appointees to Disney World governing board ask that Disney lawsuit be
dismissedAttorneys for Gov. Ron DeSantis, a state agency and his appointees to a
board that governs Disney World are asking a judge to dismiss a federal lawsuit
Disney has filed.AP News


Undo

Sisters tell Australia court that abuse by Jewish school principal broke trust,
painful to rememberTwo sisters have told an Australian court that being sexually
abused by their Jewish school's principal broke their ability to trust and is
painful to remember.AP News


Undo