German man convicted of poisoning baby food to extort money

Berlin, October 23

A 54-year-old German man has been convicted of attempted murder for poisoning baby food and putting it on store shelves in a failed attempt to extort money from supermarkets.

German news agency dpa reported the man was sentenced in Ravensburg state court late Monday to 12 years in prison. His name wasn’t released in line with privacy laws.

Last fall, the man sent emails threatening to poison food at German retailers unless some 10 million euros (USD 11.5 million) was paid.

Authorities said the suspect then alerted authorities that five jars of baby food at shops in Friedrichshafen had been tampered with. Officials located the jars before any were sold and found they contained ethylene glycol, a compound used in anti-freeze.

DNA on the jars and surveillance footage led to the suspect. — AP