Christopher Charles Perez of Texas was sentenced to over a year in prison after falsely claiming he paid someone with COVID-19 to lick items in a grocery store.
The 40-year-old man was charged with two counts of false information and hoaxes related to biological weapons, Complex reported. Perez made two Facebook posts last year trying to scare people in the San Antonio area.
“My homeboys cousin has covid19 and has licked everything for past two days cause we paid him too,” the message read, the New York Times reports. “YOU’VE BEEN WARNED.”
Users sent screenshots to the FBI, which launched an investigation into the matter. It was confirmed his claims were fake, but he was still penalized. On top of the jail time, Perez has to pay a $1,000 fine.
“Those who would threaten to use COVID-19 as a weapon against others will be held accountable for their actions, even if the threat was a hoax,” Christopher Combs, FBI San Antonio Division Special Agent in Charge, said. “Perez’s actions were knowingly designed to spread fear and panic and today’s sentencing illustrates the seriousness of this crime.”
A similar incident happened in London. A man was arrested after he was accused of visiting three different supermarkets and “injected foodstuffs with a number of needles.”
Authorities believed he only tampered with processed meat and microwaveable products. However, customers were advised to throw away anything they bought when the man visited the stores: processed meat and microwaveable products. However, customers were advised to throw away anything they purchased when the suspect visited the stores.
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