Dollar Tree Reveals Federal Grand Jury Subpoena Following Family Dollar Rodent Infestation Report

Dollar Tree Federal Grand Jury Subpoena Overview: 

• Who: Dollar Tree revealed to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that a federal grand jury subpoena has been issued against it by the Eastern District of Arkansas. 
• Why: The subpoena was filed in response to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration report from February that revealed a rodent infestation at a Family Dollar warehouse distribution center in West Memphis, Arkansas.
• Where: The federal grand jury subpoena was issued by the Eastern District of Arkansas.

The Eastern District of Arkansas has issued a federal grand jury subpoena against Dollar Tree Inc. to get more information regarding sanitation practices and pests at its facilities, Law360 reports.

Dollar Tree disclosed the subpoena to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The subpoena, it says, was made so the government can peruse records and documents “pertaining to pests, sanitation and compliance with law regarding certain of our procedures and products.” 

The subpoena comes around a month after a report by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revealed a rodent infestation at a Family Dollar distribution warehouse in Arkansas. Dollar Tree owns Family Dollar.

“We intend to cooperate fully with the subpoena and any related investigation; however, no assurance can be given as to the timing or outcome of this matter,” Dollar Tree said when disclosing the subpoena.

A total of nine class action lawsuits have already been filed against Dollar Tree in the wake of the FDA’s report, with the company saying in its SEC filing that it expects more to come. 

Dollar Tree also told the SEC that the West Memphis distribution center where the infestation occurred and some of the affected Family Dollar stores have been temporarily closed for “extensive cleaning.” 

Family Dollar Conditions Reported to FDA By Consumer

The FDA investigated the distribution center after a consumer complaint alerted them to potentially unsanitary conditions at the facility, which it discovered contained both living and dead rodents, rodent urine and feces,and dead birds, among other things. 

Further, a fumigation of the facility in January resulted in 1,100 rodents found dead inside the facility, according to the FDA. 

Family Dollar stores in Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana and Mississippi all received products from the West Memphis facility. 

The retail store would go on to issue a voluntary recall on Feb. 18 for some products sent directly to the stores from the affected facility, including cosmetics, pet food and medicine. 

That same month, a class action lawsuit was filed against Family Dollar by four customers claiming the company violated federal and state consumer laws by selling products contaminated from the rodent infestation. 

Have you shopped at a Family Dollar location that is or was temporarily closed due to the rodent infestation at the Dollar Tree distribution center? Let us know in the comments!

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