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A man is facing serious charges after reportedly tampering with a coworker’s water bottle and footwear due to dissatisfaction with the colleague’s behavior following a promotion.
Makoto Kuroda, employed in a laboratory at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has been charged with second-degree reckless endangerment and tampering with household products, as per a university press release.
As of now, it remains unclear from court documents whether Kuroda has entered a plea in response to these charges.
The incident unfolded on April 6, when campus police responded to a report involving the contamination of a water bottle and shoes belonging to an employee at the Influenza Research Institute. This information is detailed in a criminal complaint obtained by Oxygen.
According to the complaint, the male employee, whose identity has not been disclosed, informed police that he had consumed half of the water from his bottle before leaving it on his desk. Upon returning a few days later, he noticed a peculiar smell and taste, prompting him to spit out the water. Additionally, he detected an unusual odor emanating from his shoes, which he suspected to be chloroform.
According to the affidavit, Kuroda admitted he placed the chemicals Trizol and paraformaldehyde into his co-worker’s water bottle and shoes. University officials said in a statement that the chemicals—paraformaldehyde, chloroform and Trizol—are commonly found in research labs, though testing is still ongoing.
Kuroda allegedly told police he was upset over a promotion. After both men moved up the corporate ladder, the victim was promoted again and, per the affidavit, and Kuroda claimed his co-worker’s attitude toward him changed, acting as though he was “better.”
Meanwhile, in an interview with police, the victim said that he and Kuroda were once good friends, but had grown apart, according to the affidavit.
Kuroda has been placed on administrative leave while the university conducts a workplace investigation, with the press release noting, “His access to physical and digital university assets, and his research privileges, have been revoked.”