Sentencing for Rancho Feeding Corp. co-owner moved to September

The co-owner of a former Petaluma slaughterhouse who admitted directing employees to process diseased cattle, leading to a nationwide meat recall, will be sentenced later this year than originally scheduled.

Jesse “Babe” Amaral Jr. will receive up to 28 years in prison when he is sentenced Sept. 2 by U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer.

Amaral, 77, who operated Rancho Feeding Corp., previously was set to be sentenced Wednesday at the San Francisco court. But the hearing was moved, in part so federal prosecutors could provide additional evidence related to their loss calculation.

The recall involved 8.7 million pounds of beef and affected more than 40,000 retailers, including Safeway and Wal-Mart.

Amaral and co-owner Robert Singleton, 78, were indicted last year after an eight-month investigation revealed employees knowingly processed condemned or diseased cattle while federal inspectors were absent or on lunch breaks.

In some cases, employees cut out “USDA condemned” stamps on carcasses of diseased cows or processed animals after removing their heads so inspectors wouldn’t notice they had eye cancer.

In all, Rancho sold meat from 180 diseased or condemned animals, prosecutors alleged in their indictment. No illnesses were reported.

Two former employees - foreman Felix Cabrera, 55, of Santa Rosa and yard worker Eugene Corda, 65, of Petaluma - also were indicted. Singleton, Cabrera and Corda last year admitted their roles and are expected to be sentenced Oct. 7.

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ppayne.