MILWAUKEE, WI (WTAQ) – A man charged with one count of tampering with a consumer product pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday.
Jonathan Lane allegedly tampered with sausages at a Sheboygan County plant.
The maximum penalty for the charge is ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Court records show that Lane will return to court for his sentencing on November 29.
Court records also indicate that prosecutors are recommending Lane pay Johnsonville $42,035.11 in restitution.
While working at the Johnsonville facility in Sheboygan Falls, Lane placed cigarette paper in a sausage link and then placed a wire connector in a sausage link on another occasion, according to prosecutors.
On both occasions, Lane came forward and reported discovering the foreign objects to plant managers, but he had no reason to be inspecting sausage links. This caused management to suspect Lane of inserting the objects himself.
The items were removed prior to packaging on both occasions and Johnsonville threw out all products they believed could be affected.
According to the criminal complaint, Lane later admitted to inserting the objects.
