A 34-year-old Milwaukee resident, Joseph R. Ross, was recently arrested on charges of contaminating a colleague’s beverage with super glue at the Wisconsin State Fair grounds. Ross was charged with a felony count of placing foreign objects in edibles, according to court records.
The arrest was initiated when a coworker, identified as “JH” in the police report, approached the Wisconsin State Fair Park Police during a foot patrol around 11 a.m. on March 20. JH requested a private conversation with the officers, expressing concerns that her drinks had been tampered with over the past two to three weeks. She reported a strong chemical smell and taste in her beverages, which had made her ill. JH also stated that she had not given anyone permission to interfere with her drinks.
In response to her suspicions, JH had installed a surveillance camera at her desk earlier that day to monitor her workspace. The camera footage, captured at approximately 9:52 a.m., allegedly showed Ross, JH’s office mate, adding an unknown substance to JH’s soft drink. JH shared this footage with the police.
The video reportedly showed Ross handling a brown and orange tube with a white nozzle and pouring a liquid into JH’s open can of Coke. Ross was seen wearing clear latex gloves while contaminating the drink, which he later discarded.
Upon questioning, Ross reportedly confessed to adding a “supplement” to his coworker’s drink. A subsequent search of Ross’ office and the surrounding area led to the discovery of a pair of clear protective gloves, balled up. Inside the gloves, officers found a blue plastic cap and a container of super glue. The glue, identified as Gorilla Brand Super Glue, carried a warning label advising to keep it out of children’s reach due to the risk of ingestion.
The contaminated can of Coke was sent to the Wisconsin Crime Lab for further analysis. Ross is currently in custody at the Milwaukee County Jail, with bail set at $10,000. A judge has ordered that Ross should have no contact with the victim if he is released. If found guilty, Ross could face up to 3 1/2 years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 3.