Former Restaurant Cooperative CEO and Brother Charged in Alleged $80 Million Bribery and Money Laundering Scheme

A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida has charged former restaurant-chain purchasing cooperative chief executive Janet Risi Field and her brother, Steven Louis Risi, in an alleged decades-long bribery and money laundering scheme involving more than $80 million.

The indictment, unsealed on October 1, 2026, alleges that vendors seeking supply contracts paid millions of dollars in secret bribes and kickbacks to Risi Field and members of her family while she served as chief executive of Independent Purchasing Cooperative, Inc., a nonprofit organization that managed the North American supply chain for a large restaurant franchise system.

According to prosecutors, Risi Field allegedly caused approximately $25 million in slush-fund payments, primarily for her benefit and that of other alleged co-conspirators. The indictment further alleges that shell companies and controlled bank accounts were used to conceal or move proceeds.

Risi Field and Risi are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and two counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. Risi Field faces additional conspiracy, honest-services wire-fraud and wire-fraud charges.

The charges are allegations. Both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Source

U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida, October 1, 2026.