Wisconsin woman pleads no contest in scheme to plant rat in meal at upscale restaurant

By AP
Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Wis. woman pleads no contest in rat in meal scheme

APPLETON, Wis. — An Appleton woman who tried to extort money from an upscale restaurant by putting a rat in her lunch has entered no-contest pleas to two criminal charges. The Appleton Post-Crescent reported 43-year-old Debbie R. Miller was found guilty after she entered the pleas to a felony extortion charge and a misdemeanor for obstructing police.

Prosecutors said Miller planted the rat at The Seasons on April 17, 2008, and then demanded $500,000 from the owners. She threatened to alert the media.

Instead of paying, the owners turned the rat over to investigators for their insurance company. They determined it was a domestic rat that had been cooked in a microwave.

The restaurant doesn’t use microwaves. Miller was arrested about three months later.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 8.

Information from: The Post-Crescent, www.postcrescent.com

YOUR VIEW POINT
NAME : (REQUIRED)
MAIL : (REQUIRED)
will not be displayed
WEBSITE : (OPTIONAL)
YOUR
COMMENT :