Do Not Pass Go …
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that several shipping company executives had plead guilty and agreed to serve jail sentences “for their roles in a wide-ranging conspiracy to rig bids, fix prices and allocate market shares for customers transporting goods between the continental United States and Puerto Rico by ocean vessel …” The press release also states that:
The five executives charged today work for large U.S. companies that provide freight shipping services to customers transporting goods between the continental U.S. and Puerto Rico. These companies transport a variety of cargo shipments, such as heavy equipment, medicines and consumer goods, on scheduled ocean voyages between the continental U.S. and Puerto Rico. ….The four individuals charged with violating the federal antitrust laws have agreed to plead guilty for their roles in a conspiracy that began at least as early as May 2002 and continued until as late as April 2008, the object of which was to eliminate competition and raise prices for the movement of goods in the U.S. to Puerto Rico shipping lane. The Department charged that the executives sought to eliminate competition and raise prices by agreeing not to compete for one another’s customers; agreeing to rig bids submitted to government and commercial buyers; and agreeing to fix the prices of rates, surcharges and other fees charged to customers.
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