R.I. Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Fake Vermont Maple Syrup

Bernard Coleman of Rhode Island just plead guilty for mislabeling his maple syrup as pure Vermont Maple. He said that he originally sold the real stuff over the Internet until 2009 when prices went up, so he started to make his own by using maple flavoring, water and sugar.

According to the article, a couple who recently bought roughly $220 in his products thought it tasted off, and had it tested by the state Department of Agriculture Consumer Protection. Lo and behold, it was determined to be made from cane sugar.

What shocks me the most is that he's gotten away with it since 2009. How could no one have noticed by now? Three years? That's a long time to pull off maple flavoring, water and sugar as Vermont Maple Syrup. The real stuff is just too good to fake, or so I thought.

Even more shocking, he's facing up to three years in prison for "introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead." Lesson learned: do not mess with Vermont food products or you'll actually go to prison.

To view the full article, click here.


Image 1 via plimoth.com
Image 2 via deamstime.com