Texas woman who tried to con Sonic twice over ‘raw’ burger charged, officials say

A Texas woman told Sonic that its drive-in restaurant sold her a raw hamburger that got her sick last year, authorities say.

At the time, Cassandra Brooks, who was a Texas prison lieutenant, sent the restaurant chain photos of raw beef she was served in Lake Charles, Louisiana, according to a news release from the Harris County District Attorney. She also emailed restaurant management copies of medical bills and evidence of lost wages, prosecutors say.

Brooks, 53, won a settlement of more than $10,000, the release said.

About a month later, she filed a similar claim against a Sonic located in Webster, Texas, just southeast of Houston, according to the release. This time, insurance fraud investigators took a look at the case.

Investigators analyzed the metadata of photos Brooks sent to Sonic as well as her time sheets for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and medical bills, according to the release.

Texas Department of Public Safety officials said Brooks didn’t miss work because of sickness from raw meat, and pictures of the hamburger she sent for her claim in Texas were the same photos she used for the Louisiana claim, KTRK reported.

Brooks declined to comment when contacted by KTRK.

A grand jury looked at the evidence and indicted Brooks on a third-degree felony charge of insurance fraud, the release said.

She could go to prison — where she once worked — for up to 10 years, according to the release.

This story was originally published July 26, 2019 at 3:16 PM with the headline "Texas woman who tried to con Sonic twice over ‘raw’ burger charged, officials say."