EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) — A 68-year-old Illinois man was jailed without bond Thursday after being accused by federal prosecutors of inserting sewing needles into packaged meat “just for the hell of it” at a grocery store in his hometown at least seven times over more than a year.
SuperValu Inc., the Minnesota-based corporate parent of the Shop ‘n Save chain, stressed that none of the cases resulted in serious injury, and that the alleged tampering was isolated to only the meat section of one store.
Avery, who made a brief court appearance Thursday on the seven tampering counts each punishable by up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine, was ordered jailed pending a scheduled detention hearing Monday.
FBI Special Agent Daniel Cook said that Shop ‘n Save alerted him July 9 of the tampering, which dated to May of last year.
Using its surveillance camera footage, the Shop ‘n Save’s security crew identified a suspect seen manipulating meat items he never ended up buying and alerted Cook when the man again entered the store, riding a motorized scooter and using a portable oxygen tank.
After buying various items, Cook said, the man was approached by investigators outside the store and allowed them to search his truck, where an open package of sewing needles was found in a center console. The man insisted he kept the needles on hand to mend pants he tore while camping, then gradually acknowledged he used the needles more inappropriately.
Avers insisted he had no justification for such tampering, calling it a “stupid idea.”
