Texas woman faces prison for tampering with ice cream in viral video

A certain video which went viral on the 28th of June showed a woman opening a container of Blue Bell ice cream in a Walmart, licking it, then closing the container and putting it back in the freezer.

What might be seen as little more than a disgusting prank has developed into a much more serious situation, as authorities in Lufkin, Texas now seek to press charges that could lead to a maximum of 20 years in prison.

Product tampering laws are very strict on both the state and federal level, owing to past incidents such as the 1982 Tylenol murders which caused panic among consumers.

The viral ‘prankster’ did not help her case by admitting in an Instagram post that she was ill at the time, elevating the crime to one of intentionally trying to spread disease.

The contaminated ice cream was traced in a manhunt led by Blue Bell’s corporate office, and involving law enforcement, retailers, and social media platforms.