Luke A. Truesdell, a 40-year-old man from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for posting false information about a consumer product on the internet. Truesdell pleaded guilty to one count of communicating false information that a consumer product had been tainted and one count of making a false statement to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
According to court documents, Truesdell made a false statement to the FDA on January 26, 2012, claiming he was a Hepatitis B carrier and had bled into batches of an FDA regulated consumer product manufactured by his former employer. He also posted similar false information on the Facebook page of one of his former employer’s customers the following day.
Truesdell’s actions were motivated by his recent firing from his job in Linn County, Iowa. He admitted to making the false claims in a plea agreement, which led to his sentencing by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade in Cedar Rapids.
In addition to his five-year prison term, Truesdell was ordered to make $17,721 in restitution to his former employer. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Judge Reade emphasized the severity of Truesdell’s actions, stating that posting false information on the internet can result in consumer fear and panic.
Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Holland of FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office, condemned Truesdell’s actions, saying that this type of criminal activity can cause significant harm to businesses and consumers alike. The FDA will continue to pursue perpetrators of such acts and ensure they are punished to the full extent of the law.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter Deegan and was investigated by the United States Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations. Truesdell is currently being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl, with the case file number being 12-CR-8 LRR.
This sentence serves as a warning to those who would seek to misuse social media to cause harm to others. The FDA and other law enforcement agencies will continue to monitor and investigate such activities, and those found guilty will face severe penalties. As Judge Reade noted, once something is posted on the internet, it is available to the world, and the consequences of such actions can be severe.
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