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Former Florida cook gets 7 years for putting lye in Yum Yum Sauce

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LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for putting deadly plumber's lye into the sauce at a restaurant where he worked.

The Ledger reported Wednesday that 54-year-old Margarito Padilla pleaded no contest to introducing a chemical into a food or drink, as part of a deal with prosecutors.

Lakeland police say Padilla was arrested last June after the owner of Hibachi Express watched surveillance video that showed Padilla access a container of poisonous drain cleaner and then head to the area where the Yum Yum Sauce was kept.

The owner had checked the video after tasting the sauce during a routine inspection and immediately feeling his mouth burn.

Padilla eventually acknowledged tainting the sauce because he was unhappy about working conditions.