Restitution may be available for those who purchased illegal meats from two Wellman residents last year.

KCII reported last month that 57-year-old Alan Ray Christiansen and 58-year-old Kenneth Paul Drozd have been charged with second-degree fraudulent practices, a class D felony, and simple misdemeanor violations of Iowa’s Meat and Poultry Inspection Act. In July 2020, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) was alerted to a social media account under the name “English River Meats,” operated by Christiansen and Drozd. The page was advertised as a meat and poultry preparation business but was not a licensed entity and was never inspected, certified, or approved to prepare or sell meat products. In September 2020, an IDALS compliance officer performed an undercover purchase of meats from English River Meats. On October 14th the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with IDALS and Washington County Environmental Health, performed a search warrant of the business, during which about 130 pounds of meat were seized.

The Washington County Attorney’s Office asks the public if they had purchased any products from English River Meats to contact them at 319-653-7721 about seeking restitution. You can find a list of licensed meat and poultry plants in Iowa by visiting here.