(NaturalNews) It seems that staff workers and federal police officers at a hospital in Charleston, SC, aren't too fond of giving out free soda refills.

An onsite construction worker at the Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Administration hospital admits to having refilled his soda several times in the hospital's cafeteria without paying for it. He also reports being confronted by federal police.

According to reports, federal police at the SC hospital quickly took the construction worker aside and hit him with a $525 fine for an 89-cent soda refill, citing that the cafeteria's menu does not offer free refills.

Apparently, the hospital is more interested in saving the soda for the ill and dying patients, since this caramel coloring, corn syrup cocktail is often served to those lying on the hospital beds.

Man tries to pay for 89-cent refill, gets handed a $525 ticket by federal officer instead

According to the report, construction worker Christopher Lewis was on his lunch break. He admitted to getting a second glass of soda from the hospital cafeteria, as he had done on numerous occasions.

A spokesperson from the hospital said that the cafeteria has signs in place clearly stating that soda refills are not free. Lewis said he never noticed those signs and was never warned by any staff member. This time when Lewis went to refill his glass, a hospital chief of police approached him.

Lewis told local news, "As I was filling my cup up, I turned to walk off and a fella grabbed me by the arm and asked me was I going to pay for that, and I told him I wasn't aware that I had to pay for that."

Lewis quickly offered to pay 89 cents for the refill, but his apology wasn't accepted. The officer and the cashier both turned him down.

"I never had an option to make right what I had done wrong," said Lewis.

According to Lewis, the officer took him to a separate room and slapped a $525 shoplifting ticket on the table in front of him. Lewis was also ordered to never return to the property.

The hospital's report claimed, "Today a Federal citation was issued for shoplifting in the VA cafeteria to an individual who stated to VA police he had not paid for refills of beverages on multiple occasions, even though signs are posted in the cafeteria informing patrons refills are not free. Shoplifting is a crime."

As Lewis prepared to take the issue to federal court, the story leaked to the public. Upon hearing the news, the hospital quickly retracted the hefty fine. The ticket, issued by the Federal Police Force at the VA medical facility, was dropped.

The hospital promptly released this statement: "In reviewing the case, the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center has determined a warning in lieu of a citation is sufficient in this case."

Still, a hospital spokesperson claimed that the refill was "theft of government property," and that the hospital was "fortunate to have a highly trained Federal police force to ensure the safety of our patients, visitors and employees."

Lewis said, "I'm done there, at the VA hospital. I'm not allowed to go on the premises anymore."

Humanity is living in an era of insanity, a time when dying patients are fed poisons from a government-run hospital cafeteria -- a time when federal police guard soda machines and dish out heinous fines for measly 89-cent refills.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.cbsnews.com

http://science.naturalnews.com