A couple who planted a severed fingertip in a bowl of chilli at a fast-food restaurant, were handed prison sentences for their plot to extort millions of dollars in damages from the company.
Anna Ayala, 40, from Las Vegas, who claimed that she had bitten into the finger in March last year, was sentenced to nine years in prison. Her husband, Jaime Plascencia,
44, who bought the finger from Brian Rossiter, a colleague, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Sales at Wendy’s in San Jose, California, dropped after the alleged incident took place. The company said that the bad publicity had cost it $2.5 million (£1.4 million), and resulted in several workers being made redundant.
Ayala had said in a television interview: “There’s no words to describe what I felt. It’s sick, it’s disgusting — just knowing there was a human remain in my mouth is tearing me apart inside.” Tests showed that she had not eaten the finger.
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Ayala had made a series of legal claims against businesses. Mr Rossiter told the police that he had been offered $250,000 by the couple to keep quiet.