Rob Rhinehart, the founder of food-substitute drink Soylent, is facing criminal charges over his installation of a now-derelict and graffiti-strewn red shipping container on a hill overlooking Los Angeles.
The container was intended to become an “experiment in sustainable living” for the startup founder, complete with solar panels and panoramic views.
But locals condemned the red corrugated steel crate as an eyesore, and when the Guardian visited earlier in July the would-be eco-home was covered in graffiti, with a burned-out mattress inside.
Rhinehart now faces criminal charges in connection with the structure, for unlawfully erecting it without the proper permits and for failing to demolish the building when requested by city authorities.
If convicted, Rhinehart could face a $4,000 fine and up to two years in prison, prosecutors told the Los Angeles Times. He is set to be arraigned on 7 September.
“Un-permitted structures pose a safety risk,” city attorney Mike Feuer said in a statement to the Times. “They also can be unsightly and erode the quality of life in a neighborhood.”
Rhinehart has previously blamed others for the state of the site. “My home was graffitied and the windows were smashed. That’s my fault? Where are the police?
“I have spent thousands improving the surroundings including cleaning trash, graffiti and cutting grass not just on my land but the whole hilltop,” he said in an email to the Guardian sent before the criminal charges were leveled.
Soylent is a gloopy liquid designed to replace food, which Rhinehart invented when he was a programmer at a Silicon Valley startup. His company is now worth $100m.
