Boynton man gets prison for selling mislabeled and contaminated foods

WEST PALM BEACH — A federal court judge has sentenced a Boynton Beach businessman to 15 months in prison for selling mislabeled and contaminated prepared foods.

Timothy Delong, president of Atlantis Foods, which did business as Culinary Designs, earlier pleaded guilty to selling chicken salad, Maine lobster dip, salmon cream cheese, salmon spread, chicken salad with almonds and cranberries, and crab stuffing, all of which contained listeria bacteria. Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley also ordered DeLong to pay a $5,000 fine and restitution of $200,000.

 According to a criminal information, Delong sold the products to his customers but did not notify them of the contamination and did not order a recall after lab tests found the bacteria.

Delong also sold a product labeled Smoked Rainbow Trout Spread that had no trout in it, but instead was made with tuna.

Delong faced a maximum penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment on the first count and as much as 3 years on the second. Delong also could have been fined as much as $250,000.