We have been discussing the disgusting trend of people filming themselves licking ice cream and then returned the tubs to the freezer for some unsuspecting person to buy. The prank has caused huge losses for stores and ice cream makers. There is an interesting twist on this story out of Port Arthur, Texas where authorities have charged D’Adrien Anderson, 24, with the crime. Anderson has produced a receipt showing that he purchased the ice cream but, under Texas law, it does not matter.
The video that Anderson posted was clearly intended to suggest that he returned the tub for resale.
While his father insists that his son only wanted to get a lot of Facebook likes, in Texas, that is all that is required. If you create the impression of tampering, it is still a crime. After all, the effect is the same as people avoid the product.
It is a crime under Texas law to “knowingly or intentionally threatens to tamper with a consumer product with the intent to cause fear, to affect the sale of the consumer product, or to cause bodily injury to any person.”
Anderson is charged with a Class A misdemeanor and could face a penalty of up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000, if convicted.