Monday, 10 August 2026, 12:38
Taylor Fresh Foods, the Salinas-based produce giant behind Taylor Farms, is suing a former executive over an alleged $32 million fraud. The civil lawsuit, filed June 5 in federal court, describes a multi-year scheme involving fake vendors, unauthorized purchases and family members on the payroll. The lawsuit also names MTS Building and Electrical, described as an unregistered sham contractor, as a defendant. The case has drawn attention for its California connections, including a UC Berkeley endowment and a Humboldt County ranch.
In addition to the company, the lawsuit names the principal of MTS Building and Electrical as a defendant, according to the complaint.
Brian Thure served as president of Taylor Farms Tennessee from 2012 until March 2026, according to the lawsuit. The company says he used fraudulent vendor charges, reimbursements, company credit cards, payroll and construction projects for his own benefit. The alleged scheme spanned approximately four years. The lawsuit also alleges he used company entities for his own benefit.
Thure is also accused of putting his wife, Julie Thure, and other family members on the payroll to collect unauthorized salaries and bonuses. Among the other family members allegedly on the payroll were Julie's mother and sister. The lawsuit lists personal service workers hired through the company, including a chef, driver, handyman, personal trainer and aquarium maintenance attendant. It also alleges Thure tried to bribe employees to stay quiet about irregularities.
The lawsuit describes a "multi-year fraudulent scheme" that touched nearly every part of the subsidiary's finances.
The alleged spending included dozens of purchases, including several large ones. The couple bought a $5.5 million home in Hawaii and a $1.5 million, 400-acre ranch in Humboldt County. Developing the ranch added millions more, the lawsuit says. That spending included purchasing supplies and shipping construction vehicles to California. A $15,000 golf cart for the Hawaii home was charged to a corporate card.
The lawsuit also says $1 million went to create the "Brian and Julie Thure Right Tackle Endowment" at UC Berkeley, where Brian played football before joining the NFL. A UC Berkeley news release about the gift was later removed, according to the lawsuit. The university did not respond to SFGATE's questions about whether the endowment still exists. The university also did not respond to questions about whether it ever received the money. Julie Thure allegedly donated the Hawaii home to Middle Tennessee Christian School for fundraising purposes.
According to the lawsuit, the donation to Middle Tennessee Christian School was specifically for the use of the Hawaii home, not for the transfer of the property itself.
Taylor Fresh Foods said it became aware of the alleged scheme after an IRS audit in early 2025 raised concerns about MTS and other reimbursement practices at the Tennessee subsidiary. An internal investigation followed, and the company said it found the multi-year fraudulent scheme.
The lawsuit says Thure confessed in an April 8 voicemail to CEO Bruce Taylor and in text messages to other colleagues. The company is seeking at least $32 million in damages.
This case has strong ties to California. Taylor Fresh Foods is headquartered in Salinas, one of the state's main agricultural regions. The alleged $1 million donation would have benefited UC Berkeley in Alameda County. The 400-acre ranch purchase is in Humboldt County, far up the North Coast.
The lawsuit was filed in June, a month before an outbreak of a diarrhea-causing parasitic infection linked to Taylor Farms' iceberg lettuce triggered a recall in at least 27 states. That recall put extra scrutiny on the company's operations.
Brian Thure played football at UC Berkeley before his time in the NFL, according to court documents. Taylor Farms is one of the largest fresh produce companies in the country, known for packaged salads and wholesale vegetables. KSBW, via Haystack News, also covered the lawsuit. Brian Thure could not be reached for comment by SFGATE.
The civil lawsuit lays out an extensive alleged abuse of power by a trusted company president. As the case moves through federal court, Taylor Fresh Foods is seeking to recover $32 million. No criminal charges have been announced.
