Buona Beef Sandwich Left Stateville Inmate 'Consistently Throwing Up': Lawsuit

JOLIET, IL — A 42-year-old convicted killer from Chicago, Carl Whitehead, has been devoting his time to filing a pro se lawsuit at the Will County Courthouse, contending that he was "consistently throwing up" and did not eat for 17 straight days last summer because someone intentionally allowed a spoiled Buona Italian Beef sandwich to be sold to the inmates using Stateville's vending machines.

"On July 10, 2024, I was housed at Stateville Correctional Center," Whitehead wrote. "On this day my mother, Bonnie Whitehead, came to visit me at Stateville C.C. During our visit my mom went to the vending machine located inside Stateville visitors room, purchased a Buona Italian Beef, chips and soda. Approximately one month prior, June 2024, I purchased an Italian Beef Buona from the same Stateville vending machine and it was spoiled with an expiration date of February 28, 2024. I alerted correctional officer Pifer, he contacted vendor, vendor removed all Italian beef from vending machines."

The Chicago convicted killer explains in his lawsuit that "on the day in question, July 10, 2024, because of my previous situation, the first thing I did was check expiration tag/sticker on packaging for freshness date. Expiration tag stated 'Feb. 28, 2025.' After warming sandwich, eating, approximately 10 to 15 minutes later, I started to feel sick," Whitehead wrote Will County. "Stomach cramping, throat tightening, etc. At this point my mom and I inspected the packaging again and noticed that the expiration sticker had been placed directly on top of a previous expiration sticker.

"At this point, I removed the top sticker dated Feb. 28, 2025. There was another sticker underneath dated Feb. 28, 2024, the exact same Bouna Beef vendors removed one month prior were placed back on vending machine with new expiration date stickers placed on top of old ones."

As for Whitehead, "I was treated for food poisoning over the next few weeks inside Stateville C.C. healthcare unit. Suffering many symptoms such as fatigue, stomach cramps, diarrhea, consistently throwing up, etc. For 17 straight days I did not eat because I could not keep anything down," Whitehead declared in his lawsuit.

Whitehead's lawsuit asserted that the defendants violated Illinois administrative codes in that "the vendor shall adhere to all applicable state, county and local health codes contained in the sanitary food and preparation act."

"For reasons stated within complaint, plaintiff now moves to sue Department of Human Services, Division of Rehabilitative Services, Business Enterprise Program For The Blind, Super G Vending and Associates. Plaintiff has shown a valid claim of negligence, fraud, breach of contract, many violations of administrative code and Illinois complied statutes," Whitehead wrote. "I swear under the penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true. This petition was prepared by a pro se litigant with not much knowledge of law. I ask the court to please excuse any mistakes plaintiff may have made and please allow the corrections if necessary."

Whitehead is seeking $2,000 damages from each defendant in his lawsuit, punitive damages and "compensatory damages of $50,000 in official capacity."

Whitehead mailed his lawsuit to Will County Circuit Court Clerk Andrea Lynn Chasteen, indicating he is now serving his prison sentence in Galesburg at the Hill Correctional Center. The Department of Corrections shows Whitehead is serving a life sentence for a murder he committed 20 years ago.

According to online court records, Whitehead was found guilty after a jury trial in Cook County of first-degree murder, home invasion, residential burglary, and attempted armed robbery in the November 2005 homicide of Ramiro Aguirre in the 5800 block of West North Avenue in Chicago. On the night of November 21, 2005, a woman awoke during the night when she heard the sound of breaking glass and a beeping sound. She went to the door of their nursery and saw a man. He put a gun to her forehead and a hand over her mouth and walked her toward the bathroom.

At that moment, Aguirre opened the door and began to struggle with the intruder. The intruder pointed a gun at Aguirre's chest and fired. Aguirre fell to the ground. Then the man put the gun to the woman's head and asked, 'Where is the money?' The woman answered they did not have money in the house. The man continued to demand money, but eventually left, telling her not to call the police. Aguirre was pronounced dead at the scene, court files explain.