The Huelva court handed down a prison sentence amid a case of embezzlement tied to a ham and shoulder drying operation
A man connected to a cold meat company in Jabugo, Huelva, received a prison sentence after being found guilty of embezzlement. The court ordered 11 months and 29 days of imprisonment and required the defendant to make restitution to the company in the amount of 529,900 euros. In addition, about 7,000 pieces of ham and shoulder were confiscated as proceeds of the crime, with the intent that they would be sold to third parties.
The sentence is linked to actions carried out between 2007 and 2013 while the individual served as the manager of the drying warehouse for the ham and shoulder division. In that role, the person oversaw the intake of meat, its inspection during curing, and the movement of goods to the company headquarters after drying. The court found that the defendant diverted a portion of the inventory for personal gain without the company’s knowledge or consent.
Evidence showed that the person supplied various quantities of ham and tenderloin to third parties and combined the proceeds from these sales with personal assets. The goods often moved to private residences via freight firms, bypassing company controls. The total items involved included 3,018 smoked hams, 70 hams raised on acorns, 3,818 pallets of feed, and 32 acorn shoulder cuts.
During the period of wrongdoing, the defendant benefited financially from the illicit activity, while the spouse of the accused was not found to have participated in the crime. The court concluded that the defendant acted as the principal author of the embezzlement scheme and imposed imprisonment along with a monetary liability to compensate the company for its losses.
The spouse was treated as a participant who benefited from the criminal enterprise, facing joint and several liability for the disparate gains obtained through the wrongdoing. A separate line of inquiry concluded with acquittal for all four individuals who had been charged as buyers of the implicated goods, as there was insufficient evidence to connect their knowledge to the illegal origins of the items.
This case illustrates how managerial access to inventory in processing facilities can create vulnerabilities for misappropriation. It also underscores the importance of internal controls and oversight in the food industry to deter theft and ensure accountability for company assets.
In sum, the court affirmed a verdict of embezzlement against the primary defendant, sentencing him to a defined term of imprisonment and ordering restitution to the company. The remaining participants were evaluated on their respective roles, with the spouse receiving liability as a participant in the financial gains from the crime, while other accused parties were cleared due to lack of evidence linking them to the illicit earnings.
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