Follow-up on Chili Finger By Cleatus Claybeaugh

Several months ago we reported on a copycat swindle which was a spoof on the real story of a couple who tried to swindle an insurance company and the Wendy’s food chain in a scheme to get rich quick. We promised to report back as the story unfolded.

Well, what were they thinking? In today’s world of technology a criminal has the odds stacked against them. Turns out the lady, Anna Ayala, 40, who said she found a finger in her chili has been sentenced to nine years in a San Jose, California, jail. Her husband, Maime Plascencia, 44, who purchased the finger for $100 from a co-worker who had lost it in an accident while working at a paving company, was sentenced to 12 years. Both plead guilty to attempted grand theft with damages exceeding. $2.5 million. Turns out they had offered the seller of the finger $250,000 to keep quiet. Hey, that’s 10 percent...so why
didn’t he keep quiet?

Ok… let’s be analytical. The seller of the separated finger part would have been smart to refuse to sell the amputated finger knowing what it was going to be used for. If the buyer had lied to him and told him he was going to make a mantle ornament, he would have not had been criminally implicated. But he was told that the finger was going to be used in a scam… and was later offered $250,000 to keep quiet. Being unable to conceal his knowledge, which is difficult to do under expert questioning and lie detectors, he spilled his guts to keep from going to jail. Finally, a smart move compared to his other stupid move. Of course, once Wendy’s began a thorough investigation into the possible sources of the partial finger, it was discovered no Wendy’s employee was missing a body part at the San Jose restaurant… then further discovering there had been no loss of fingers among employees who worked for their suppliers. So, now things begin to get testy. Once the seller spilled his guts, it was obvious someone had to go down for causing an economic chaos amounting to $2.5 million dollars to a company just trying to serve the public.

So… now you have the rest of the story. David Letterman, Jay Leno, and a host of comedians will now have to search for new material. As Marcell Ledbetter might say, “It ain’t funny!”

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