A San Antonio man has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for falsely claiming to have paid someone infected with COVID-19 to lick grocery store items in the San Antonio, Texas, area.
Christopher Charles Perez was found guilty of two counts of conveying false information and hoaxes related to biological weapons, according to a statement from the Department of Justice. He posted the hoax to Facebook in April 2020, which was reported to the FBI.
A Texas man who posted on Facebook that he paid someone sick with Covid-19 to intentionally spread the virus at San Antonio grocery stores by licking items was sentenced to just over a year in prison. https://t.co/R2jIYS80r2
— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 6, 2021
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and Weapons of Mass Destruction personnel. (RELATED: Hundreds Attempt To Get Their Money Back After FBI Deposit Box Raid Fails To Produce Evidence Of Wrongdoing)
Perez posted: “My homeboys cousin has covid19 and has licked every thing for past 2 days cause we paid him too [sic]. Big difference is we told him not to be these f—— idiots who record and post online. . .YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!!!” according to NBC.
“Those who would threaten to use COVID-19 as a weapon against others will be held accountable for their actions, even if the threat was a hoax,” said FBI San Antonio Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, according to the DOJ statement. (RELATED: Sweden, Denmark Halt Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine For Young People)
Perez will also be required to pay a $1,000 fine.