Ex-NYC DOE Official Gets 2 Years In Prison For Food Bribery Scheme: DA

NEW YORK CITY — A former Department of Education official was sentenced to prison along with three others following an alleged food bribery scheme that involved contaminated chicken with plastic, bones and metals.

Eric Goldstein, who worked as the CEO of the NYC DOE’s Office of School Support Services, accepted nearly $100,000 in bribes from SOMMA Food Group, prosecutors said.

Goldstein was sentenced to 2 years in prison, Co-defendants Blaine Iler was sentenced to 12 months a day along with a $10,000 fine, Michael Turley received 15 months and Brian Twomey was sentenced to 15 months and a $10,000 fine.

In 2015 and 2016, the business owners began a scheme with Goldstein, sending $96,670 to a bank account through a company named Range Meats Supply Co. that the CEO controlled.

In addition, payments were made to Goldstein’s divorce attorney and father.

In exchange, Goldstein used his position to ensure that the NYC DOE purchased and served SOMMA’s products to thousands of schoolchildren, including chicken tenders that were found to contain foreign objects, including plastic, prosecutors said.

Goldstein also made sure that SchoolFood’s approval of SOMMA’s products was expedited and
that disputes between SOMMA and the NYC DOE were resolved in SOMMA’s favor, prosecutors said.

The largest bribe payment was made in the fall of 2016, when SchoolFood had
stopped serving SOMMA’s chicken tenders because a NYC DOE employee choked on a bone
that had not been removed from a SOMMA chicken tender.

Goldstein accepted $66,670 bribe from SOMMA and a day later approved reintroduction of SOMMA’s chicken products in schools.

The chicken products were served in schools until April 2017 when it was removed following repeated complaints.

“Eric Goldstein corruptly abused his high-ranking position of trust as a public official and pursued lucrative bribes at the expense of school children, many of whom rely on healthy meals provided by the New York City Department of Education,” said United States Attorney Breon Peace. “Great responsibility came with overseeing the school system’s food operations, but shamefully, Goldstein prioritized lining his pockets with payoffs from his co-defendants to ensure the DOE purchased their products and that their food stayed in the schools even after plastic, bones and metal were found in the chicken served to schoolchildren and teachers."