AUSTIN — Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples announced today that a Texas Department of Agriculture inspection has resulted in a prison sentence for Basilio Coronado. The Brownfield company owner was sentenced to 24 months in a federal prison for falsely portraying his company’s produce as organic. The evidence of misrepresentation was discovered during a TDA inspection of Sel-Cor Bean and Pea Inc. 

“The message is clear – if you illegally market your products and try to defraud consumers, we will catch you and you’ll pay a high price,” Commissioner Staples said. “Due to the excellent work of our inspectors and through the coordination with USDA’s enforcement investigation, a company owner who wasn’t complying with national and state organic guidelines will pay the consequences through jail time and restitution. Texas consumers deserve to get what they pay for when they purchase organic products, and we will continue to support USDA’s enforcement efforts by ensuring those companies TDA certifies are providing consumers true organic products.” 

Coronado plead guilty to falsely telling state and federal agents he bought and sold organic milo, pinto beans and garbanzo beans, when in fact, the products were not organic. In addition to his federal prison sentence, Coronado must also pay more than $523,000 in restitution and is prohibited from participating in a USDA program for five years. 

TDA is accredited by the USDA National Organic Program to conduct inspections and certify organic farms, processors, distributors and retailers of organic food and fiber.  

Sel-Cor was certified as an organic distributor in 2003 and is based in Brownfield near Lubbock. TDA revoked its certification as a result of the information gathered by the agency.