Fargo, N.D.-A former fertilizer manager for ConAgra Foods Inc. has been sentenced to only half the term in prison recommended by prosecutors for bilking his employer out of more than $600,000 over nine years, but he still may be on the hook for restitution. “We recommended 30 months and he got only eight months in corrections and eight in home confinement, for a total of 16 months,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Puhl remarked to Green Markets. “We’re disappointed of course, but we accept it.” Larry Schrader, 70, of West Fargo, had pleaded guilty (GM Archives) to one felony count of transportation of stolen goods for a scheme that involved loading out liquid fertilizer from the former ConAgra outlet in Moorhead, Minn., where he worked as sales manager, and selling it through his own business, NC Marketing. Puhl told the court that Schrader often would order workers to replace the stolen fertilizer with water and tell them not to record the transaction, creating what she described as “a tremendous amount of stress on the employees.” Schrader was quoted in the press as saying, “I would just like to apologize for what I did to ConAgra. I would like to apologize to my family for putting them through this, the embarrassment.” U.S. District Judge Ralph Erickson reportedly said Schrader had committed a significant property crime because it involved a lot of money over a long time, but that the 30-month prison sentence recommended by prosecutors would put too much of a burden on social services to care for Schrader’s family. Erickson postponed the restitution hearing until later this month. Puhl said ConAgra’s successor, Gavilon LLC, which took over ConAgra Trade Group earlier this year, has declined any money that could be recovered. But what Gavilon wants and Schrader’s financial worth likely won’t be factors, according to Puhl. “The restitution act makes it definite that these decisions are not based on the ability to pay,” she explained.
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