Pair Guilty of False Claim Against Taco Bell

An Indiana couple were convicted of trying to get money from Irvine-based Taco Bell Corp. by putting a withered frog in a taco. Bob and Debbie Fields had claimed they found the remains in a double-decker taco they bought in 1997. She told Taco Bell’s insurance representative that if she and her husband didn’t get $50,000 to $75,000, they would go to the media with their story, prosecutors said. On Thursday, a jury in Brazil, Ind., convicted the couple of fraud and false reporting. Each could get up to 3 1/2 years in prison and $11,000 in fines at sentencing Oct. 19. Defense attorney James Organ said the jury disregarded lie-detector results indicating the Fieldses were telling the truth. Taco Bell spokeswoman Laurie Gannon said: “This sends a strong signal that fraud and extortion don’t pay.”