A workplace feud in Milwaukee took a toxic turn when a manager was arrested for allegedly tampering with an employee’s drink — by pouring power steering fluid into it.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by Law&Crime, the bizarre incident unfolded at ETE Reman, a car transmission manufacturer, where tensions between co-workers apparently boiled over. On June 5 around 3 p.m., police were called to the scene after one employee fell ill and suspected foul play.
The victim told police he had stashed two drinks — a fruit punch and an Arizona Ginseng Tea — in the breakroom freezer the day before. When he took a sip of the iced tea, he noticed the rim was greasy and a strong chemical odor was coming from the bottle. Alarmed, he sought medical treatment at urgent care and reported the incident.
He then showed the drink to several co-workers, including 60-year-old supervisor Steven R. Cox — the man now accused of being behind the dangerous prank.
According to the complaint, human resources reviewed security footage and spotted Cox entering the breakroom holding two Pure Leaf tea bottles. The video allegedly showed him checking to see if anyone was watching before picking up the victim’s iced tea and appearing to pour something into it.
Cox then walked over to the sink, rinsed out the Pure Leaf bottle, and tossed it in the trash. HR staff later retrieved it and confirmed it contained the same greasy, chemical-smelling substance as the tainted Arizona tea.
When confronted, Cox denied it at first — claiming the victim was “always glaring at him.” But when police interviewed him, Cox reportedly came clean, admitting he had poured steering fluid into the tea because the victim “was always trash talking him.” He called the act a “prank,” according to the affidavit.
Cox was arrested and charged with placing a foreign substance in an edible item. He has since posted bond and is due back in court on June 28.
The alleged victim said he had past issues with Cox but believed they had resolved their differences. Clearly, that wasn’t the case — and now a workplace squabble could land one manager in serious legal trouble.
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Author: thedailycrime1
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