A computer scientist from Trieste is on trial for allegedly threatening companies with fake poisoned products, demanding tens of thousands of euros

David Sirca, a 51-year-old computer technician from Trieste, is on trial in Verona for attempted extortion after allegedly demanding €100,000 from Zuegg and threatening to put jars of poisoned jam on the market. The case, which began in March 2022, entered a new stage in court on October 20, 2026.

According to investigators, the man allegedly used fake email addresses and the name Alessio Ferrari. After Zuegg refused to respond to his demands, he allegedly claimed to have already contaminated a jar and sent a recording in which he handled jam and added thallium sulfate, an extremely toxic compound. The company withdrew its products as a precaution, reporting significant losses.

The investigation showed that the suspect allegedly also targeted the Martinelli company in Verona, demanding €30,000 and threatening that he had injected rat poison into beer bottles. Previously, an administrator of an equestrian center in the Trieste area had allegedly received threats to poison the animals.

Police traced the suspect’s digital connections and the VPN service he used, identifying links between the messages sent to the victims. Sirca is being held in Padua prison, where he is serving a seven-year sentence in other cases. He is suspected of more than 200 attempted extortion offenses and faces another conviction.