Two Oxford residents yesterday were bound over for trial on felony food tampering charges after one of them allegedly spat on an Oakland County Sheriff’s Deputy’s sandwich while working at the Oxford Burger King earlier this year.
Oxford residents Jon Paul McQuater, 20, and Jacqueline Rose Rowland, 20, are facing one count each of ‘placing a harmful object or substance in food; furnishing food containing harmful object or substance.? The crime is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000.
At Rowland and McQuater’s Dec. 7 preliminary exam in Rochester 52-3 District Court, Chief Judge Julie Nicholson ordered a forensic test for McQuater to determine if he’s mentally capable to participate in a Feb. 28 Circuit Court arraignment on the food tampering charge and an unrelated arson charge. Rowland will also be arraigned in Circuit Court Feb. 28 on the food tampering charge.
McQuater, who was fired from the local fast food restaurant in June, was arrested on the food tampering charge Dec. 1. He was then charged Dec. 2 with one count of arson, a 20-year felony, stemming from a Sept. 7 incident in which McQuater allegedly doused his mattress and box-spring with gasoline and set them on fire in an alleged suicide attempt inside his father’s mobile home. The alleged arson took place on Brookhollow Drive inside the Parkhurst Mobile Home Park in Oxford Township.
Rowland turned herself in Dec. 1 upon learning from a reporter at a rival newspaper that the same charges were pending against her.
The food tampering charges stem from a June 4 incident involving Deputy Stephen Clark, of the Oxford substation, who pressed felony charges against the pair following a witness statement that Rowland served him a chicken sandwich in which McQuater had allegedly spat.
Clark said a witness came forward in September to inform him she was in Burger King the night his food was tampered with. She told Clark she witnessed McQuater spitting on the food and both employees laughing about it.
‘I’m convinced they did it because of the (sheriff’s) uniform,? said Clark, who never met either suspect prior to the incident. ‘McQuater told me he did it to look cool.?
In June, while on patrol, Deputy Clark stopped by Burger King to have a bite to eat. He grew suspicious when, after ordering, Rowland went to the kitchen to get his meal and took a long time to return.
‘When she returned with the food it was already wrapped, which seemed odd because they typically wrap it up front,? Clark said. ‘I pulled forward and checked the food and could clearly see a glob of spit on the sandwich.?
Clark immediately confronted Rowland who denied knowing anything about the spit and offered him a new sandwich, which Clark declined.
After the witness came forward, Clark contacted McQuater to question him about the incident, for which the young man then apologized.
However, when he questioned Rowland again, she continued to deny knowing about the spit.
According to Clark, Burger King management fired McQuater in June, but as of Nov. 29, Rowland had not lost her job.
Burger King headquarters has not returned phone calls, and the Oxford franchise management staff declined to comment on the status of the investigation.
‘I’m upset that the management of the restaurant knows about this and has done nothing, even though she (Rowland) is willing to tamper with food,? said Clark.
‘Nobody deserves it ? not just the police. It could have been anyone. There should be better supervision there.?
Rowland was arraigned in 52-3 District Court Dec.1 and released on a $10,000 personal bond. McQuater was arraigned Dec.1 on the food tampering and arson charges and released Dec. 4 after paying 10 percent of a $30,000 total cash bond.