In January 2006, William Cunningham laced soup with lighter fluid, peppers, and eventually Prozac and Amitriptyline, then fed it to his 18-month-old daughter and 3-year-old son. He then claimed the soup had been tampered with and threatened to sue Campbell Soup if they didn’t pay up. Yesterday he was sentenced to 100 years in prison.

Because Cunningham used the USPS and a phone to contact Cambpell, the charges against him grew to include mail and wire fraud as well as aggravated assault and cruelty to children. In 2006, he was sentenced by a federal court to 5 years in prison for communicating false claims about a consumer product being tampered with.

“100-Year Sentence For Dad Who Poisoned Kids” [WSBTV Atlanta] (Thanks to Nick!)

RELATED
“Atlanta Father Admits Intentionally Poisoning Children in Attempt to Sue Campbell Soup Co.” [Fox News]
“Soup-tampering does not pay” [Overlawyered]
“Man Indicted For Poisoning Soup and Feeding It to His Children” [Firstcoastnews.com]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.