The former head of New York City public schools' food services, Eric Goldstein, was sentenced to two years in prison on Monday for his role in a bribery scandal that resulted in contaminated chicken tenders being served to children. Goldstein and three vendors, Blaine Iler, Michael Turley, and Brian Twomey, faced charges in a Brooklyn federal court. Iler was also sentenced to one year and fined $10,000, while both Turley and Twomey received 15 months and the same fine.
The monthlong 2023 trial found the four men guilty of bribery, conspiracy, and other charges. US Attorney Breon Peace stated, "Eric Goldstein corruptly abused his high-ranking position of trust as a public official and pursued lucrative bribes at the expense of school children." Peace emphasized that Goldstein prioritized profits from his co-defendants despite the food being unfit for consumption. Problems were first identified when bones, plastic, and metal were found in the chicken tenders.
Goldstein oversaw school food from 2008 to 2018. Iler, Twomey, and Turley ran SOMMA Food Group, which had a contract with the city to provide food for the schools. In November 2016, after receiving a bribe, Goldstein approved the reintroduction of SOMMA's chicken products into schools, although they were deemed unsafe.
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