Federal charges against INDIV dismissed

Federal charges for conspiring to export goods to Haiti in violation of a presidential trade embargo were dismissed against agricultural export company International Division Inc. and its president, Forest Lipscomb.

United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri Steve Hill announced March 3 his office has reached an agreement to defer criminal prosecution against INDIV if it abides by a series of conditions for a period of one year and pays a fine of $10,000.

INDIV's agreement to pay the fine was based on the fact that the fine was much less than the cost of a two-week trial at which INDIV intended to produce in excess of 50 witnesses, according to a news release by Lipscomb's and INDIV's attorneys.

INDIV, 401 W. McDaniel, is a purchasing agency which acquires poultry equipment and products from American sources and arranges for their export to foreign customers. INDIV, three Florida corporations, a Haitian corporation and one of the Haitian corporation's officers were indicted July 23, 1997.