People will do anything to get their 15 minutes of fame, including going to jail. We previously reported on the girl who went viral after she entered a Walmart store in Texas, licked some Bluebell ice cream, and returned it to the freezer before making her exit. The video went viral and sparked outrage, prompting an investigation that led to her arrest. Because the suspect is a minor, she most likely will avoid any jail time, but her trouble with the law hasn't deterred copycats from following in her footsteps in order to gain some internet fame.
Take for instance 36-year-old Lenise Martin III, a Lousiana man who was filmed not only licking Bluebell ice cream he retrieved out of a store's freezer, but putting one of his fingers in before returning it to its shelf. It hasn't been made clear how the store's management became aware of the video so quickly—it's safe to assume it was through social media—but they contacted authorities. Martin did attempt to clear his name by going back to the unnamed grocery store (rumored to be Big B’s Supermarket) with proof that the video was a hoax and that he did, indeed, buy the ice cream, but it was too late.
Louisiana sheriffs plan on prosecuting to the full extent of the law anyone caught mimicking this viral video. “We discourage anyone from copying this atrocious act,” said a spokesman for the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office, according to ABC7 WWSB. “It is illegal. It’s a health risk to others. We will pursue anyone we see do this. You will be charged.”
Meanwhile, Martin's smiling mugshot has made the rounds and he has been charged with criminal mischief and unlawful posting of criminal activity for notoriety and publicity.