U.S. Attorney Breon Peace emphasized that Eric Goldstein "corruptly abused his high-ranking position of trust as a public official and pursued lucrative bribes at the expense of school children, many of whom rely on healthy meals provided by the New York City Department of Education." This remark highlights the serious breach of trust involved in the case reflecting a grave irresponsibility towards the welfare of vulnerable children who depend on these meals for nutritional support.
Prosecutors revealed that the largest bribe payment occurred in 2016 after the school system stopped serving the contaminated chicken tenders. This exemplifies the lengths to which Goldstein and his co-defendants went to restore their profitable food supply, even after reports of health hazards emerged: "the defendants' food stayed in the schools even after plastic, bones and metal were found in the chicken." This shows a blatant disregard for student safety in pursuit of personal gain.
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