The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) recently issued a memorandum to various enforcement agencies. The memorandum, available here, focuses on holding individuals accountable for corporate fraud and misconduct. The DOJ has already shown it means business. Just days after the memorandum was published, a former corporate executive was sentenced to an unprecedented 28 years in prison for his role in knowingly shipping salmonella-tainted food products in 2008.

Coupled with the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) increased enforcement efforts—evidenced by growing civil penalties and a wave of lawsuits directed at corporations—this new DOJ edict gives CPSC another leg to stand on when dealing with manufacturers, distributors, and retailers alike. As the DOJ and CPSC take steps to delve behind the corporate façade and hold individuals both criminally and civilly liable for their transgressions, corporate actors should take note of the possibility of harsh monetary penalties or, worse, time behind bars.