VIDEO: The Legal Consequences For Tampering With And Serving Knowingly Bad Food

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- We see stories on social media that pop-up about people finding disgusting things in their food at a restaurant.

However, it’s rare you see stories about someone being arrested for allegedly contaminating a meal.

While there are always rumors, law enforcement need more than a picture to draw up charges.

Colom’s reaction is about the same as everyone else, when talking about the alleged intentional contamination of a customer’s order at Jack’s restaurant in Columbus.

“Its disgusting, Colom described. “There’s so many restaurants, so many fast food restaurants and we as citizens rely that these people preparing the food are not doing anything like this to harm us.”

Colom said with his experience as a judge and a prosecutor, investigations can always take a surprising turn.

“Well you hear about rumors but this is the first time that I’ve heard some actual evidence of somebody stooping to such a low,” he said.

The district attorney said getting that evidence is key before going in a courtroom.

“I think there’s been some social media reports about evidence to support the allegations, and that led to an investigation and at this point the Columbus Police Department has arrested the women that I think has been accused,” he said.

If a person is convicted of knowingly serving contaminated food, they can go to prison.

“I think there has to be some intent to make the food unwholesome,” Colom explained. “If it’s a mistake of some sorts, then there’s possible misdemeanor punishment, but if somebody intentionally makes food unwholesome then that’s potential felony results for that.”

Colom said there are other charges prosecutors can consider.

If a person is convicted of a felony, like the district attorney talked about, they can go to jail for up to five years.