Woman faces $500 fine over free apple from Delta flight



ARVADA, Colo. -- A Colorado woman said she's facing a $500 fine from U.S. Customs and Border Protection after she stashed a free apple during her flight home from Paris, according to KDVR.

Crystal Tadlock said that flight attendants were passing out apples in plastic bags, and she took one. She wasn't hungry at the time so she threw the snack in her bag and planned to eat it during the second leg of her trip back to Denver.

Tadlock said when she went through customs, her bag was randomly searched.

She said the customs agent pulled out the apple in the plastic bag with Delta's logo on it.

Tadlock said she had just received the snack from the airline and asked if she could throw it out or eat it. She said the agent told her no, and handed her a $500 fine instead.

"He had asked me if my trip to France was expensive and I said, 'Yeah.' I didn’t really get why he was asking that question, and then he said 'It’s about to get a lot more expensive after I charge you $500,'" Tadlock said.

"It’s really unfortunate someone has to go through that and be treated like a criminal over a piece of fruit," Tadlock said.