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| In 2006, a ]-area woman and her friend were charged with disorderly conduct and criminal mischief after they asked a convenience store clerk to microwave one of the devices so the woman could pass a drug test. The clerk, thinking it was a real penis, called police. The couple were required to reimburse the chain for the cost of a new microwave; ] regulations do not allow microwaves to be used once bodily fluids have been in them. | In 2006, a ]-area woman and her friend were charged with disorderly conduct and criminal mischief after they asked a convenience store clerk to microwave one of the devices so the woman could pass a drug test. The clerk, thinking it was a real penis, called police. The couple were required to reimburse the chain for the cost of a new microwave; ] regulations do not allow microwaves to be used once bodily fluids have been in them. | ||
| In 2007, former ] Jonathan Byrne was discovered with a Whizzinator when he appeared for a probation-related drug test. | |||
| The ] held hearings on the Whizzinator on May 17, 2005. | The ] held hearings on the Whizzinator on May 17, 2005. | ||
| ==Federal fraud case== | ==Federal fraud case== | ||
Revision as of 14:08, 6 December 2009
The Original Whizzinator is a product intended to fraudulently defeat drug tests. The Whizzinator comes as a kit complete with dried urine and syringe, heater packs (to keep the urine at body temperature), a false penis (available in several skin tones including white, tan, latino, brown, and black) and instruction manual. The company also offered a female version of the Whizzinator, called "Number One." Though there is no information on exactly how this product differs from the 'disposable unisex' product also on the market. It was manufactured by Puck Technology of Signal Hill, California; a suburb of Los Angeles.
The device received media coverage in May 2005 in the United States after Onterrio Smith, a former Minnesota Vikings running back, was caught with one at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, which resulted in his suspension. Actor Tom Sizemore has also brought the Whizzinator into the public eye after having been caught with one attempting to evade drug tests. Famous bodybuilder George Spellwin's glittering career was further called into question when bank statements relating to the Whizzinator came into the public domain.
In 2006, a Pittsburgh-area woman and her friend were charged with disorderly conduct and criminal mischief after they asked a convenience store clerk to microwave one of the devices so the woman could pass a drug test. The clerk, thinking it was a real penis, called police. The couple were required to reimburse the chain for the cost of a new microwave; OSHA regulations do not allow microwaves to be used once bodily fluids have been in them.
The United States Congress held hearings on the Whizzinator on May 17, 2005.
Federal fraud case
On October 14, 2008, federal prosecutors in Pittsburgh won a 19-count indictment against Puck Technology, maker of the Whizzinator, and its owners for fraud and selling drug paraphernalia. Prosecutors allege that by manufacturing and selling the Whizzinator, Puck Technology, company president Gerald Wills and vice president Robert Catalano conspired to defraud the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which administers federal workplace drug testing programs. The government is seeking forfeiture of all of the company's assets, including its Internet domain names.
On November 24, Puck Technology, Wills and Catalano pleaded guilty in a Pittsburgh federal court to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government and one count of conspiracy to sell drug paraphernalia. Wills and Catlano were scheduled to be sentenced in February 2009. They could face up to eight years in prison and a $800,000 fine.
The company's Websites, whizzinator.com and gonumber1.com, were no longer live as of November 2008.
External links
- The Whizzinator: A House Panel's No. 1 Priority, The Washington Post, May 18, 2005.
- Cato, Jason. Buchanan takes on drug-test cheaters. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 2008-10-15.
- Men guilty over fake penis scam. BBC News, 2008-11-25.
- Burris, Annie. H.B. man pleads guilty to selling fake penis to cheat drug tests. The Orange County Register, 2008-11-25