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CARTEL CASE STUDYJohn W. McReynolds
Assistant Chief
New York Field Office
Antitrust Division
U.S. Department of Justice
Case Study
• Customer allocation conspiracy• The industry
• The investigation
• The evidence– Particular emphasis on documents & trial exhibits
Linen Supply Market
• Services– Deliver clean linen products – Pick up dirty & soiled linens– Bring dirty linens back to their plants for
washing & ironing – Deliver clean linens the following week
Linen Supply Market
• Customers– Restaurants– Cafeterias– Caterers – Food shops– Delicatessens– Pizzerias
Linen Supply Market
• Size of market– Over $200 million annually– Thousands & thousands of customers
Linen Supply Market
• Duration of conspiracy– Early 1994 through October 2002– Individual agreements dating back to 1980s
Linen Supply Market
• The customer allocation conspiracy– All 6 large local competitors– Agreed to not compete for each others’ existing
customers• Instruct salesmen not to solicit
• Put in high quotes or refrain from quoting
• Phone each other when a customer is looking to switch
Linen Supply Market
• Rules– OK to compete for newly opened businesses– If owners open up another location, it is
“protected”– If a conspirator “cheats” by taking a customer,
you can retaliate by taking a customer of equal size
Linen Supply Market
• Conditions favorable to collusion• Standardized products• Products do not have close substitutes• High entry costs for large scale operation• Few firms that can service large & upscale
restaurants• High market shares• Detection of cheating & enforcement
Linen Supply Market
• Other conditions favorable to collusion– 6 largest competitors:
• Fathers & grandfathers knew each other• Many were immigrants from eastern Europe• Union negotiations• Industry association meetings• Helped each other when in need• Bought & split up linen supply companies together• Purchased linens from same manufacturers
Linen Supply Market
• History of industry
• Antitrust violations• 1958 consent decree
• Terminated in 1992
• Arson• Violence• Organized crime
Linen Supply Market: Investigation
• How investigation began:• Late 1999 - new entrant: Linens Inc.
• Over the next 2 years took 20 top New York City restaurants
• Disrupted cartel
Linen Supply Market: Investigation
• Retaliation, beginning early 2002• Threatening phone calls
• Threatening emails
• Truck break-ins
• Assault
• Complaints to National Labor Relations Board
• Union organizing efforts
• Picketing at major restaurants
Linen Supply Market: Investigation
• Linens Inc. contacted Antitrust Division in April 2002• General manager interviewed
• Last worked in the industry in the 1980s
• Background/historical/anecdotal information
• No first-hand knowledge
Linen Supply Market: Investigation
• Covert stage• Threatening phone calls: trap & trace• Threatening emails: trace• Consensual monitoring
– meetings with 1 of the 6 conspirators – the “peacemaker”
– group meeting with the “peacemaker” & most aggressive of the conspirators
Linen Supply Market: Investigation
• Overt stage – part 1• October 2002 issued to 6 largest linen supply
companies• Amnesty applicant
Linen Supply Market: Investigation
• Overt stage – part 2• Beginning March 2003 - witnesses
– 4 Voluntary without attorney
– 3 Voluntary with attorney – statement protection
– 6 Compelled – grand jury, under oath & immunity
Linen Supply Market: Investigation
• December 2003• President & his company
• Cooperate
• Both plead guilty
• Company pay $3.5 million fine
Linen Supply Market: Investigation
• Overt stage – part 3• Issued subpoenas to
• 6 additional linen supply companies
• 2 credit reporting agencies
• 6 credit card companies
• 6 restaurants
• 1 union
• 1 car leasing company
Linen Supply Market: Investigation
• Overt stage – part 3, continued• Witnesses
– 10 Voluntary without attorney
– 2 Voluntary with attorney – statement protection
– 15 Compelled – grand jury, under oath & immunity
Linen Supply Investigation Summary
• Documents • 350 boxes, containing over 25,000 pages
• Witnesses - 40
Linen Supply Investigation Summary
• 1 amnesty applicant• 2 individuals & companies pleaded guilty to
antitrust & cooperate • 1 individual pleaded guilty to perjury &
cooperate• 1 individual & company pleaded guilty to
antitrust; individual also pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice
• 2 individuals & companies were indicted – just recently changed pleas to guilty