


A Milwaukee man working as a vendor at the Wisconsin State Fair has been arrested after being accused of spiking drinks with superglue.
The victim, identified in court documents filed this week as J.H., began suspecting that drinks she kept on her desk were being tampered with a few weeks ago, because they had a chemical smell and taste and made her sick after she drank them. She then set up a camera at her desk to see if anything untoward was happening.
On March 20, the camera picked up Joseph Ross, 34, squeezing the contents of a small tube into an open can of Coca-Cola, according to authorities. The victim shares an office with him.
Police conducted an interview with Mr. Ross later that day, and he admitted putting a “supplement” into the soda. After getting a warrant to search his desk, cops found a used tube of Gorilla Glue in a trash receptacle near the shared office.
The court documents didn’t mention what the motive may have been for the alleged soda dosing.
Mr. Ross was charged Tuesday with one count of putting a foreign object into something edible, a felony. If convicted, he’ll face up to 42 months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
In addition, Mr. Ross has been ordered to have no contact with the victim. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Thursday.
In a statement reported by Milwaukee’s WISN-TV, Wisconsin State Fair Park said, “The two individuals involved were employed by a vendor and were not State Fair Park employees, therefore, we cannot comment on employment status. However, since this incident occurred while at State Fair Park, our police department responded. … Additionally, our police department has issued a ’No Trespass Order’ to the individual being charged.”
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.