Charges: Meat from cancerous cows

• A former co-owner of a California slaughterhouse is accused of distributing bad meat


• The other co-owner and two former workers are also facing charges in the case


• Prosecutors: Robert Singleton was responsible for buying cows and loading shipments


• Authorities recalled nearly 9 million pounds of meat from the slaughterhouse in February

(CNN) -- A second former co-owner of the California slaughterhouse involved in a recall of nearly nine million pounds of meat was charged with knowingly processing and distributing meat from cancerous cows, court documents released this week say.

Robert Singleton, co-owner of the Rancho Feeding Corporation in Petaluma, was primarily responsible for purchasing cattle and loading shipments for distribution, prosecutors say.

He is charged with distributing "adulterated, misbranded, and uninspected" meat, according to the documents.

Singleton jointly owned the meat plant with Jesse J. Amaral Jr., the former president and general manager who is also known as also known as "Babe Amaral."

Amaral and his former employees, Felix Sandoval Cabrera and Eugene Corda, have all been charged with unlawful sale and distribution of contaminated meat.

Prosecutors allege that Amaral and Singleton directed Corda and Cabrera to circumvent inspection procedures for certain cows with signs of epithelioma of the eye, also known as "cancer eye."

While Singleton is accused of knowingly purchasing cattle with signs of epithelioma, Amaral allegedly directed employees to carve "USDA Condemned" stamps out of certain cow carcasses and to process them for sale and distribution, despite having been rejected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture veterinarian.

Amaral is also charged with sending false invoices to farmers, telling them that their cattle had died or been condemned and charging them "handling fees" for disposal of the carcasses, instead of compensating them for the sale price, prosecutors said.

If convicted, Singleton faces up to three years imprisonment, with one year of supervised release, and a $10,000 fine. Amaral, Cabrera and Corda could receive up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.

CNN's attempts this week to reach the four men and an attorney representing them have been unsuccessful.

Between January 2013 and January 2014, Rancho processed and distributed meat from approximately 101 condemned cattle and approximately 79 cancer eye cows, according to court documents.

In February, 8.7 million pounds of meat from the Rancho plant was recalled. The recalled beef may have reached 35 states and Guam, the Department of Agriculture said.

Opinion: Recalls and near misses -- Who's protecting us?

Report: 38 killed in bus crash

The wreckage of a bus after two tourist buses collided in northeastern Egypt, on August 22, 2014.

(CNN) -- At least 38 people were killed and 41 injured early Friday when two tourist buses crashed in northeastern Egypt, the country's semi-official news website Al-Ahram Online reported.

The two buses in the governorate of South Sinai were carrying an estimated 80 passengers, including 4 foreign tourists, the report said.

Search-and-rescue teams are still working to recover casualties at the scene, said Mohamed Lasheen, the undersecretary of the Ministry of Health in South Sinai.

'Big Bang' star on his big new paycheck

Season 7 of the very popular comedy "The Big Bang Theory" had its finale on May 15. Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco play Leonard and Penny, who just got engaged on the series. Here is a primer on the show's characters:

Simon Helberg plays Howard Wolowitz, an aerospace engineer who started out as a bit of a creeper of women, but these days is happily married.

Jim Parsons has won three Emmys for his portrayal of physicist Sheldon Cooper, who is as clueless about social interaction as he is knowledgeable about science. He is "dating" Amy Farrah Fowler.

Three-time Emmy nominee Mayim Bialik plays Amy Farrah Fowler, a scientist who is involved with Sheldon. She also believes she is best friends with Penny.

Cuoco plays Penny, a waitress who can't quite match wits with her group of friends, but nevertheless hangs out with them. She lives across the hall from Sheldon and her now fiance Leonard.

Melissa Rauch plays Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz. She is a highly paid scientist who is married to Howard. A frequent joke in the show is how she can be as overbearing as his mother.

"Roseanne" alum Galecki stars as Leonard Hofstadter, Sheldon's long-suffering roommate and Penny's future husband. He is a physicist.

Kunal Nayyar plays Rajesh Ramayan "Raj" Koothrappali, a shy astrophysicist who up until recently could only talk to women after he drank alcohol. He is desperate to find true love and recently, finally found a girlfriend.

• Parsons has been nominated for his show and "The Normal Heart"


• He said he thought contract dispute would be worked out


• Parsons feels good about his Emmy nominations

(EW.com) -- At the end of last season on "The Big Bang Theory," Sheldon finally had to cope with not getting what he wanted in his career.

That's not a problem Jim Parsons is dealing with these days. In addition to his two Emmy nominations—one for playing Sheldon Cooper, the other for Tommy Boatwright in the gut-wrenching HBO movie "The Normal Heart"—Parsons' salary for "Big Bang" skyrocketed from $350,000 per episode to $1 million after a contract dispute that pushed back production on the eighth season. After a week-long delay, production began on Aug. 6.

Jim Parsons stars as Sheldon Cooper on "The Big Bang Theory."

Parsons sees the whole brouhaha as a simple issue. "I always thought everything would be worked out by the start date [July 30]," he tells EW. "When it wasn't, it certainly wasn't a good feeling, but there was absolutely no getting around the fact that everything had to be dealt with and finished before we could get back." He says reports of the dispute were overblown. "You see the word 'strike'—'They're walking out!'—but there was nothing to walk out from," he says with a laugh. "That's always hard, because part of you wants to explain to people what's really going on. 'Don't worry, we're not leaving, we want to do the show.'"

As for all those zeroes?

"I came from a family in Texas who simply never spoke about money," he says. "When suddenly everybody is guessing, or some even getting close, to the ballpark of what you're earning—well, that's interesting, that everyone knows what you make. It is what it is, and the job is so wonderful that those minor oddities are well worth the ride."

Looking forward to the Emmys, Parsons has different feelings about his very different nominations. "To be nominated again for Big Bang, is at least as touching to me, if not more so now, than it was the first time," he says. "Look, I'm only human and therefore there's a part of me that's waiting for people to say, 'Enough of you!'"

As for his nomination for "Normal Heart," "I would be lying if I said it didn't feel really good to know that people had seen and thought it was also good work, because again, it is such a different ball of wax from the life of Sheldon."

See the original story at EW.com.

CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly

© 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.

Robin Williams' ashes scattered

Robin Williams will be honored during Monday's Emmy telecast with a tribute led by friend Billy Crystal, who hosted the "Comic Relief" benefits with Williams and Whoopi Goldberg (seen here in 1986). Williams died August 11 at age 63. Click through to see moments from the beloved actor's remarkable life:

Williams' peers regarded him as a brilliant actor and comedian. His friend David Letterman remembered him as "nothing we had ever seen before."

Williams first shot to stardom with Pam Dawber in the sitcom "Mork & Mindy" in September 1978.

Williams attends the Robin Williams Opening Party on April 11, 1979, at Studio 54 in New York City.

This 1982 file photo originally released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Williams as T.S. Garp from the film "The World According to Garp."

Williams and his first wife, Valerie Velardi, join a huge number of photographers packed into singer Paul Simon's apartment to celebrate Simon's wedding to actress Carrie Fisher in New York City on August 16, 1983.

Williams, center, takes time out from rehearsal at NBC's "Saturday Night Live" with cast members Eddie Murphy, left, and Joe Piscopo on February 10, 1984. Williams would appear as guest host on the show.

Williams enjoys music through a headset in a scene from the film "Good Morning, Vietnam" in 1987.

Williams portrayed a teacher in the movie "Dead Poets Society" in 1989, one of his first mostly dramatic roles.

Williams went to all lengths to stay with his children in the 1993 movie "Mrs. Doubtfire."

From left, Bonnie Hunt, Bradley Pierce, Kirsten Dunst and Williams hold one another in a scene from the 1995 film "Jumanji."

Comedians and co-hosts, from left, Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg and Williams sing and dance the 1940s-era opening number to "Comic Relief VII" on November 11, 1995, in Los Angeles.

Jay Leno laughs as Williams jokes around during a taping of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on November 13, 1995, at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.

Williams and Nathan Lane starred in the film "The Birdcage" in 1996.

Williams visits a sick child in a scene from the film "Patch Adams" in 1998.

Williams and his wife, Marsha, pose for photographers with their daughter, Zelda, as they arrive at the premiere of the film "Patch Adams" in December 1998 in New York City.

Williams wears a clown nose as he places his hands in concrete during a ceremony outside Mann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood in 1998. In the critically acclaimed "Patch Adams," he played a doctor who used humor to help heal his patients

Actor-writers Matt Damon, left, and Ben Affleck, right, pose with Williams, holding the Oscars they won for "Good Will Hunting" at the 70th annual Academy Awards in 1998. Damon and Affleck won for best original screenplay, and Williams won for best supporting actor.

Williams donates blood at the Irwin Memorial Blood Center in San Francisco on September 11, 2001.

U.S. Postal Service team rider Lance Armstrong rides with Williams during training on a rest day of the 89th Tour de France cycling race in Vaison La Romaine on July 22, 2002.

Williams plays Rainbow Randolph in the 2002 black comedy "Death to Smoochy."

Williams and Oscar host Billy Crystal perform at the 76th Academy Awards show in 2004.

Williams poses for pictures with U.S. soldiers at the main U.S. base at Bagram, Afghanistan, on December 16, 2004.

Williams in 2007's "License to Wed."

Williams and Susan Schneider arrive at the premiere of "World's Greatest Dad" in Los Angeles on August 13, 2009.

Williams at the pre-premiere party for "Happy Feet Two" at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London on November 20, 2011.

Williams poses for photographs in Sydney, Australia, on December 5, 2011. He and Australian director George Miller were in Australia to promote "Happy Feet Two."

Williams' wife, Susan Schneider, said, "This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken."

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

• Widow: Williams was struggling with depression and the early stages of Parkinson's disease


• The actor was found dead in his Northern California home August 11


• Investigators believe Williams used a belt to hang himself from a bedroom door

(CNN) -- Actor Robin Williams was cremated and his ashes were scattered in San Francisco Bay, according to his death certificate.

Williams was found dead in his Northern California home August 11 from what investigators suspect was a suicide by hanging. The certificate, obtained by CNN on Thursday, says his ashes were scattered off the coast one day later.

It also says the cause of death is "pending investigation."

According to Marin County Assistant Deputy Chief Coroner Lt. Keith Boyd, investigators believe Williams used a belt to hang himself from a bedroom door.

Boyd would not confirm or deny whether Williams left behind a letter, saying that investigators would discuss "the note or a note" later.

In his own words: Williams on depression

Remembering Robin Williams

The coroner's investigation "revealed he had been seeking treatment for depression," Boyd said.

He spent time in a treatment facility in July, a time when his wife and representative have said he was battling depression.

Media reports at the time speculated that Williams had resumed drinking alcohol, but a statement from his wife appears to dispute those reports.

Williams was sober but struggling with depression, anxiety and the early stages of Parkinson's disease when he died, his widow said last week.

"Robin spent so much of his life helping others," she said. Whether he was entertaining millions on stage, film or television, our troops on the front lines, or comforting a sick child -- Robin wanted us to laugh and to feel less afraid."

I met Robin Williams: Your stories and never-before-seen photos

CNN's Alan Duke contributed to this report.