Unlicensed Still Operator Sentenced To 48 Months’ Imprisonment

FY-24-1

On November 6, 2024, Dennis R. Zeedyk, of La Porte, Indiana, was sentenced to 48 months in prison, 1 year of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution to the victims of the offense in a total amount of $43,727.93 after pleading guilty to mail fraud and tax fraud by a distiller.

Zeedyk was also ordered to pay a fine of $76,500.

According to documents in the case, Zeedyk used an unregistered still to illegally produce a product that contained toxic levels of methanol and resulted in the deaths of at least three customers. The product, which was marketed as pure, non-denatured, food-grade grain ethanol distilled from 100% corn was, in fact, sourced from the remnants of denatured industrial alcohol shipments from Lake Michigan barges.

This case was investigated by the Alcohol & Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Criminal Investigation Division, the Indiana State Department of Health, and the Hadley Police Department (Massachusetts). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Luke N. Reilander, Joel Gabrielse, and Philip C. Benson.

You can find the full press release from the United State Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Indiana on their website.