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The former chief executive of Blue Bell Creameries was charged with conspiracy in connection with his repeated efforts to cover up what became a deadly outbreak of listeria in some of the company’s products in 2015, federal prosecutors said on Friday. In addition, the company pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of distributing adulterated ice cream products and agreed to pay a total of $19.4 million in fines, forfeitures and civil payments — the second-largest amount ever paid to resolve a food safety case, officials said. (Mele, 5/1)

In a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, Blue Bell agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of distributing adulterated ice cream products and pay a criminal fine of $17.25 million. Blue Bell also agreed to pay $2.1 million to settle civil claims regarding ice cream products manufactured under insanitary conditions and sold to federal facilities. Blue Bell ice cream was linked to 10 listeria cases in four states, including three deaths in Kansas. Listeria could have spread through a drainage system at an Oklahoma plant, Blue Bell told federal inspectors. (Liao, 5/2)

Paul Kruse, who retired from Blue Bell three years ago, was behind a cover-up to hide “potential and/or confirmed listeria contamination in Blue Bell products from certain Blue Bell customers,” according to the U.S. Justice Department, which charged him with criminal conspiracy Friday in U.S. District Court in Travis County. Kruse’s lawyer said his client denies the charges. (Schler, 5/1)