Inset: Joseph R. Ross (Milwaukee County Jail). Background: A screenshot of Ross allegedly spiking his co-worker’s Coke with super glue (Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office).
A 35-year-old man has pleaded guilty to putting super glue in the soda of one of his co-workers at the Wisconsin State Fair.
Joseph R. Ross pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one felony count of placing foreign objects in edibles, court records say. He’s slated to be sentenced on Oct. 9.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Ross was taken into custody in March. According to a probable cause affidavit, officers with the Wisconsin State Fair Park Police in Milwaukee at about 11 a.m. on March 20 were conducting a foot patrol when an individual referred to in the document as “JH” made contact with them and requested a private conversation.
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“During the conversation, JH told the Officers that approximately 2 to 3 weeks ago, JH suspected that her beverages on her desk had been contaminated by a chemical substance,” the affidavit states. “JH was made aware of the contamination, due to the strong chemical smell and taste. JH stated that upon consumption of those beverages, she became ill. Moreover, JH did not consent to anyone placing anything in her drink.”
Due to those events, JH said she set up a surveillance camera at her desk earlier that morning to see if anyone was putting something in her drink.
“At approximately 9:52 a.m., JH’s camera captured JH’s co-worker, whom JH shares an office with, Joseph R. Ross, hereinafter the Defendant, put a foreign substance into JH’s soft drink,” police wrote. “JH shared the video footage with the Officers.”
The footage showed Ross holding a brown and orange tube with a white nozzle and putting a “liquid substance” into JH’s open can of Coke on her desk. Police said that while allegedly putting the substance in the Coke, Ross could be seen wearing clear latex gloves on both hands that he later discarded.
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In an interview with authorities, Ross admitted to “placing a supplement” in his co-worker’s drink. Officers then executed a search warrant on Ross’ office and the surrounding area. During the search, they reportedly recovered a “set of clear protective gloves” that were wadded into a ball.
“When the Officers unraveled the gloves, the Officers found that each contained an item,” police wrote. “One glove contained a blue plastic cap. The other glove contained a super glue container.”
Police said the recovered container was “Gorilla Brand Super Glue,” which they noted had a warning on the label that read, “Keep out of the reach of children” due to the harm of ingestion.
JH’s can of Coke was then collected and sent to the Wisconsin Crime Lab for testing.
Ross is facing a maximum penalty of 3 1/2 years in a state prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Jerry Lambe contributed to this report.
