The man who became a viral sensation after licking a tub of Blue Bell ice cream before returning it to the store shelf is headed to jail. D’Adrien L’Quinn Anderson was sentenced to 30 days in jail for the stunt, which he filmed and put on social media, according to The Daily Mail. He was also given 180 days probation over two years as well as a $1,000 fine and $1,565 in restitution to Blue Bell Creameries.
Anderson was facing a maximum of one year in jail and up to $4,000 in fines. He began his term behind bars immediately after his sentencing.
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Back in August of 2019, Anderson posted a 20-second clip to social media, which showed him cracking open a new tub of ice cream inside a Texas Walmart, licking it, sticking his fingers in it, then returning it to the shelf. According to the store’s surveillance footage, he proceeded to buy the ice cream.
The Jefferson County District Attorney’s office released a statement on their sentencing to KFDM, and said they “appropriately treated this incident as much more than a stunt.”
“Anderson’s actions caused public concerns about the safety and quality of consumer products offered for public consumption, impacted Blue Bell consumer confidence and caused the company financial loss. This type of activity will not be tolerated. The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office and the Port Arthur Police Department want the public to know that such cases will be taken seriously and appropriate criminal charges will be filed.”
The video, which was posted to both Facebook and Instagram, was viewed more than 125,000 times total. The Daily Mail also noted that several of his other posts involved playing pranks on others.
“This guy loves publicity even if it’s for the wrong reason,” Jefferson County District Attorney Bob Wortham told the outlet after Anderson’s arrest. “That can lead to bigger and worse things. If we’re going to save this guy, we have to do it with this case or he’s over the hill.”
While the rest of the Blue Bell ice cream had to be replaced, hence Anderson’s restitution, it pales in comparison to the Brenham, Texas-based ice cream manufacturer’s 2016 recall due to a risk of a listeria outbreak. The affected products were distributed in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia, all of whom were offered full refunds at the time.
