The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed sanctions on four produce businesses for failure to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.

The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:

• Write On Marketing Inc., operating out of Los Angeles, for failing to pay a total of $219,906 in connection with three awards in favor of sellers in Arizona, California and Florida.  As of the issuance date of the reparation orders, Arnulfo Diaz and Jose G. Salazar Jr. were listed as the officers, directors and/or major stockholders of the business.
• Jose Mendez, doing business as All Fresh Cold Storage, also trading as JMB Logistics, operating out of Los Angeles,for failing to pay a total of $195,058 in connection with two awards in favor of sellers in Arizona and Ohio.  As of the issuance date of the reparations orders, Jose B. Mendez was listed as the sole proprietor of the business.
• Little Mexico Wholesale Inc., operating out of Bronx, NY, for failing to pay a $53,630 award in favor of a Texas seller.  As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Josefina Aguirre and Bartolome Aguirre were listed as the officers, directors and/or major stockholders of the business.
• Chefd LLC, operating out of El Segundo, CA, for failing to pay a $49,189 award in favor of a California seller.  As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Big Wave Sound Productions, John Camphuse, Susan Camphuse, Caibou Consolidated LLC, D2 Doll Partnership, Forum Family Fund LLC, Chris Growney, John C. Hood, Kris Langley, Jim Langley, MB Investors LLC, Morgan Hunter Capital LLC, Kyle Ransford, Mark Sprague and Ross Westreich were listed as managers and/or members of the business.

In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,350 PACA claims involving more than $63 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 8,000 callers with issues valued at approximately $156 million.