Las Vegas company to plead guilty in toxic pet food case

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A Las Vegas-based company and its owners have agreed to plead guilty in connection with tainted pet food that may have killed thousands of dogs and cats in 2007.

An attorney for Stephen Miller. co-owner of ChemNutra, filed documents last week in federal court in Kansas City saying Miller had reached a plea agreement with prosecutors and would plead guilty plea at a hearing June 16.

Miller's wife, Sally Miller, and ChemNutra also planned to plead guilty.

The Millers and ChemNutra were indicted in February 2008 on charges of selling Chinese-made wheat gluten tainted with the chemical melamine to pet food makers.

Pet owners reported thousands of dogs and cats becoming ill or dying after eating the tainted food.