UW Lab Worker Sentenced For Attempted Poisoning

A former University of Wisconsin-Madison lab worker, Makoto Kuroda, has been sentenced to six months in prison after pleading guilty to attempting to poison a colleague. The 42-year-old was charged after investigators discovered he had laced his coworker's water bottle and shoes with dangerous chemicals, motivated by workplace grievances. Kuroda confessed to the crime via text message, admitting to using chemicals such as paraformaldehyde and Trizol, which are commonly found in research labs.

The incident came to light in April when authorities responded to a report of an unknown odor at the university's Influenza Research Institute. Upon investigation, they found the items in question tested positive for harmful chemicals. Kuroda, who had worked with the victim since 2017, expressed his dissatisfaction over the victim's promotion, which he believed should have been his.

According to a press release from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department, Kuroda was charged with second-degree reckless endangering safety and tampering with household products. He was banned from all campus laboratories and placed on administrative leave.

The judge credited Kuroda for time already served, meaning he will not face additional jail time. However, his actions have led to a workplace investigation, and his access to university resources has been revoked. The university is continuing its investigation into the incident.