Florida man gets 4 years in prison for pouring bleach into coworker’s Pepsi

DeLAND, Fla. – A man was sentenced Friday to four years in state prison for pouring bleach into his coworker’s Pepsi last year in DeLand, officials said.

The state attorney’s office for Florida’s 7th district tweeted that Jerome Ellis was sentenced to four years in prison for poisoning of food or water, a felony. Ellis pleaded no contest last month.

According to investigators, Ellis was caught on surveillance video in October pouring bleach into his coworker’s soda can at the Dollar General in DeLand. The victim later took a sip of the drink but did not require any medical treatment, officials said.

According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, Ellis poured the bleach into the drink after he got into an argument with his coworker.

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The victim said they left an open can of Pepsi when they went to the restroom during a lunch break and when they returned, they took a drink and said it tasted and smelled like bleach, according to a sheriff’s report.

The employee called 911 and told his manager about the drink, prompting the two to move the can into a back room while they waited for authorities, deputies said.

Ellis said his coworker was difficult to work with, according to an incident report.