Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Arrest made in chicken-farm vandalisms

James Laverne Lowery has been charged with eight counts of burglary and four counts of malicious injury to personal property in connection with vandalism at several South Carolina farms that resulted in the death of about 300,000 birds.

In some cases temperatures were reduced to kill recently-placed poults and I other cases temperatures were increased to kill birds nearing market weights.

At the time, investigators said it was clear the vandal understood chickens and how to break into the barns.

Lowery could face additional charges of tampering with the food chain. The case is being turned over to the U.S. attorney’s office.


The total loss was estimated at $1.7 million. 

The farms were contracted to Perdue Poultry.