Man given 10 years for sabotaging plant’s machine

A Franklin County man charged with intentionally sabotaging equipment at a local plant was given the maximum 10-year sentence by Circuit Judge Terry Dempsey.

Tony Welborn, 28, 89 Sutton Lane in Spruce Pine, pleaded guilty on Feb. 9 to first-degree criminal mischief for damaging equipment at Pilgrim’s Pride in Russellville.

According to Franklin County District Attorney Joey Rushing, the 10-year sentence was the maximum allowed according to Welborn’s plea agreement.

Rushing said Welborn was employed as a pallat jack driver at the Pilgrim’s Pride, which included transporting chicken to and from the grinding machines.

During the third shift on Feb. 4, 2010, workers detected a large piece of metal in the grinder that caused $15,000 worth of damage to the machine.

Rushing said Welborn admitted to investigators that he put a paperweight in the machine because he was angry that he had been passed over for a promotion.

Rushing said even though first-degree criminal mischief is a Class C felony that carries a sentence of one to 10 years in prison if convicted, Welborn had two prior felony convictions, so the sentence if convicted at trial for this crime would have been extended to a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.

“Anytime someone tampers with food it can be a dangerous situation for the company and for the consumers,” Rushing said. “Welborn was also ordered to pay $61,000 in restitution due to shut down time, lost production and because of the damage to the machine.”

Rushing said he felt the sentence in this case was appropriate considering the number of people who could have been harmed from the metal being thrown into the chicken grinder.

“Hopefully this will send a message that, even if you are upset about a situation at your job, you can’t resort to criminal activity to retaliate.”