D'Adrien Anderson/Facebook/Jefferson County Sheriff's OfficeA man who went viral for licking a tub of ice cream and putting it back in a supermarket freezer has been jailed for his actions.
Last Summer, a baffling, unhygienic trend swept across the US as pranksters started filming themselves opening supermarket freezers and licking tubs of Blue Bell ice cream before replacing the product, apparently for some poor, unsuspecting shopper to later buy.
D’Adrien L’Quinn Anderson, 24, made the questionable decision to take part in the trend, and in August 2019 he posted a 20-second video on social media showing him cracking open a new tub of ice cream, licking it and even sticking his fingers in it at a Walmart store in Port Arthur, Texas.
D'Adrien Anderson/FacebookCCTV footage from the Walmart reportedly showed Anderson later bought the tainted ice cream.
Anderson’s video was viewed more than 125,000 times but the stunt resulted in more than online fame as he was later arrested by authorities. He pleaded guilty to public mischief in January and was sentenced in Jefferson County, Texas yesterday, March 4.
The 24-year-old could have been faced up to one year in jail and and a fine of $4,000 for misdemeanor criminal mischief, but he ended up being sentenced to 30 days behind bars with an additional 180 days probation over two years, KFDM reports.
Watch Anderson’s video here:
Happy national soft ice cream day lmao 😂#viral
Posted by D'Adrien Anderson on Monday, August 19, 2019
He is required to complete 100 hours of community service and has been ordered to pay a $1,000 fine as well as $1,565 in restitution to Blue Bell Creameries.
In a statement released after Anderson’s arrest, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office said it was treating the situation as ‘much more than a stunt’.
A spokesperson commented:
Anderson’s actions caused public concerns about the safety and quality of consumer products offered for public consumption, impacted Blue Bell consumer confidence and caused the company financial loss. This type of activity will not be tolerated.
The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office and the Port Arthur Police Department want the public to know that such cases will be taken seriously and appropriate criminal charges will be filed.
Jefferson County Sheriff's OfficeJefferson County District Attorney Bob Wortham said Anderson’s actions meant the Walmart store’s staff was forced to dump its Blue Bell ice cream at considerable cost.
Walmart released a statement in regards to the stunt, as per ABC News, saying:
If food is tampered with, or a customer wants to leave the impression that they left behind adulterated product, we will move quickly with law enforcement to identify, apprehend and prosecute those who think this is a joke – it is not.
Anderson began serving his time immediately after the sentencing.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.