Something sinister and sickening was brewing behind the kitchen doors of a Kansas steakhouse. An establishment known for being a kind of upscale spot where diners expect sizzling perfection. Not stomach-turning horror. But what one restaurant worker was caught doing inside that kitchen would leave an entire town sick to its core.
What started as whispers of “something off” in the food quickly spiraled into one of the most disturbing restaurant scandals in recent memory. Kansas authorities say 22-year-old Jace Hanson turned the Hereford House steakhouse in Leawood, Kansas, into his own twisted playground.
For over a month, Hanson allegedly filmed himself contaminating food. Video footage shows Hanson urinating, spitting, and even stomping on meals before they were served to paying customers. The videos, uploaded under the chilling username “Vandalizer,” spread online before investigators could stop them.
When the FBI was tipped off about the footage, they quickly handed the case to Leawood police. They uncovered a disturbing pattern of deliberate food tampering that spanned several weeks. Hanson’s arrest on April 25, 2024, exposed far more than anyone could have imagined. Detectives say Hanson’s crimes didn’t stop at food contamination.
Evidence That Shocked Even Investigators
When Kansas police searched his devices, they found child sexual abuse material so horrific that seasoned investigators had to take breaks while reviewing it. Leawood Police Detective Jack Bond described the content as “the most brutal and violent” he had ever seen.
In total, Hanson pleaded guilty to 33 felony counts. This includes 22 counts of criminal threat, 10 counts of child exploitation, and one count of criminal damage exceeding $25,000. On October 9, 2025, a Johnson County judge handed down the maximum sentence allowed under Kansas law. 11 years and 4 months in prison, according to People Magazine reports.
“So disgusting and disturbing. 11 years is not enough. I bet the same thing happens to his food in prison,” one commenter writes.
“Did he work alone? Where were his coworkers? It seems like someone would’ve been a witness to his horrific actions,” another adds.
The consequences didn’t end with Hanson’s sentencing. The once-popular Hereford House was forced to shut its Leawood location after business plummeted. Co-owner Camellia Hill testified that sales tanked “the minute it hit the press,” calling the scandal the death blow that “destroyed our business.”
By August 2024, the restaurant had shuttered completely, citing “financial strains caused by recent events.” Lawsuits soon poured in, at least 13 civil cases filed within days, and local authorities logged nearly 400 food-poisoning complaints in the chaotic aftermath.
What happened in that Kansas kitchen is more than a headline. It’s a wake-up call. Even in trusted establishments, one bad actor can destroy lives, livelihoods, and public trust overnight. As diners, we may never look at our plates the same way again.
Sabrina Russell 
Kendra Quinn 
Nina Franklin 
