OH Nuts!
04-18-2009, 12:29 PM
Online Video Embarrasses Mother of Domino's Worker; Workers Charged
Posted: 12:38 pm EDT April 15, 2009
Updated: 10:51 am EDT April 16, 2009
CONOVER, N.C. -- Conover police have charged two former Domino’s Pizza workers with contaminating food distributed to the public.
That’s the same charge that covers people who taint Halloween candy.
Kristy Hammonds and Michael Setzer were fired after the franchise’s corporate office was alerted late Monday to videos posted on YouTube that show an employee playing with food, sticking cheese up his nose before putting it on a sandwich, sneezing on a meal and worse. A corporate spokesman said Hammonds told him the videos were a prank and that the food was not actually served to customers.
Setzer posted bond around 6 p.m. Wednesday and he said, "no comment," as he left jail.
Hammonds, 31, has a criminal history that includes a conviction for sexual battery last June and convictions for possession of stolen property and breaking into a vending machine. Eyewitness News visited her house, but no one answered the door.
Hammonds is expected to post bond Thursday morning. Eyewitness News spoke to her mother, who asked that we don't provide her name.
"I feel very bad for the company of course, because I know there's going to be a lot of people who aren't going to want to eat there," the mother said.
Her mother said her daughter is, "Very remorseful. Stupid. Embarrassed. Those were her words."
Eyewitness News asked a Domino’s manager about the case, but he declined to comment. Others, however, said they think the workers should face criminal penalties.
“Really bad. Just so unethical it’s ridiculous,” said Heidi Morales. “When you work with food, you have to take care of it to make sure people are healthy.”
She and other Conover residents said they are thinking twice about eating at Domino’s now.
Meanwhile, the restaurant took steps to rectify the situation. It reopened for business Wednesday after spending one day closed so workers could sanitize everything inside the restaurant and throwing out all food and paper products that were not still sealed directly from the manufacturer.
Officials with the Catawba County Health Department said the business is cooperating fully with its investigation.
If convicted, the Hammonds and Setzer could be sentenced to four months to one year in jail.
LINK: View Some Of The Videos
RELATED STORY: Local Domino's Employees Fired After Online 'Prank' Video
Copyright 2009 by WSOCTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Posted: 12:38 pm EDT April 15, 2009
Updated: 10:51 am EDT April 16, 2009
CONOVER, N.C. -- Conover police have charged two former Domino’s Pizza workers with contaminating food distributed to the public.
That’s the same charge that covers people who taint Halloween candy.
Kristy Hammonds and Michael Setzer were fired after the franchise’s corporate office was alerted late Monday to videos posted on YouTube that show an employee playing with food, sticking cheese up his nose before putting it on a sandwich, sneezing on a meal and worse. A corporate spokesman said Hammonds told him the videos were a prank and that the food was not actually served to customers.
Setzer posted bond around 6 p.m. Wednesday and he said, "no comment," as he left jail.
Hammonds, 31, has a criminal history that includes a conviction for sexual battery last June and convictions for possession of stolen property and breaking into a vending machine. Eyewitness News visited her house, but no one answered the door.
Hammonds is expected to post bond Thursday morning. Eyewitness News spoke to her mother, who asked that we don't provide her name.
"I feel very bad for the company of course, because I know there's going to be a lot of people who aren't going to want to eat there," the mother said.
Her mother said her daughter is, "Very remorseful. Stupid. Embarrassed. Those were her words."
Eyewitness News asked a Domino’s manager about the case, but he declined to comment. Others, however, said they think the workers should face criminal penalties.
“Really bad. Just so unethical it’s ridiculous,” said Heidi Morales. “When you work with food, you have to take care of it to make sure people are healthy.”
She and other Conover residents said they are thinking twice about eating at Domino’s now.
Meanwhile, the restaurant took steps to rectify the situation. It reopened for business Wednesday after spending one day closed so workers could sanitize everything inside the restaurant and throwing out all food and paper products that were not still sealed directly from the manufacturer.
Officials with the Catawba County Health Department said the business is cooperating fully with its investigation.
If convicted, the Hammonds and Setzer could be sentenced to four months to one year in jail.
LINK: View Some Of The Videos
RELATED STORY: Local Domino's Employees Fired After Online 'Prank' Video
Copyright 2009 by WSOCTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.