Family Dollar Stores agrees to pay $41.6M for rodent-infested warehouse in Arkansas

Federal prosecutors say Family Dollar Stores has pleaded guilty to holding food, drugs, cosmetics and other items under “insanitary” conditions at a now-closed, rodent-infested distribution center in West Memphis, Arkansas. The U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release Monday that Family Dollar faced one misdemeanor count of causing FDA-regulated products to become adulterated while being held under insanitary conditions at the facility. The plea deal included a fine and forfeiture amount totaling $41.675 million. The DOJ says it's the largest-ever monetary criminal penalty in a food safety case. A company spokesperson said it cooperated with the investigation.