WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. – The man accused of threatening to shoot store employees who caught him trying to steal Hot Pockets in Wayne County and was later found by police eating Hot Pockets has been sentenced to prison.
Daniel Hudson allegedly stuffed Hot Pockets into his pocket at a Dollar General in Highland Park on Jan. 4, 2025, and was caught by employees as he tried to walk out the store. During this exchange, he opened his coat jacket to reveal a gun and threatened to shoot the employees before leaving the store.
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Previous coverage --> Man accused of stealing Hot Pockets from Michigan store was eating Hot Pockets when cops found him
Here’s a breakdown of what happened, according to federal prosecutors and authorities:
What employees told police
When an employee confronted him, Hudson took the Hot Pockets out of his pocket, grabbed a container of chicken wings, and yelled at employees. While he did this, he showed his gun that was in his coat pocket, and threatened an employee that he would “blow his head off.”
The manager told Hudson to leave and called the police. Both employees told authorities Hudson was a regular customer at the Dollar General and knew where he worked.
Officers went to Hudson’s workplace, where they found him in the break room eating Hot Pockets, court records say. He was then taken into custody; officers said they found a 9 mm pistol in his backpack during his arrest.
Authorities learned that although there’s no record of the gun being reported stolen, it was registered to a different person from Detroit. Police said Hudson did not have a valid CPL to carry a gun.
What Hudson told police
Authorities interviewed Hudson on Jan. 6, 2025, regarding his arrest. He said he went to the Dollar General while he was on his lunch break. He told police he didn’t intend to steal the Hot Pockets, but he didn’t see a clerk, leading to him putting the Hot Pockets in his pocket.
When he was confronted by an employee, he said he put the Hot Pockets back on the counter, pulled a gun out and put it back in his coat pocket. He told police he never pointed the gun at anyone.
When Hudson left Dollar General, he said we went to a supermarket next to his workplace to get two Hot Pockets before returning to work, according to the criminal complaint.
When authorities asked Hudson about the statements he made towards the employees, he said he told the workers, “Maybe I should blow yo a-- [sic],” when he was told he was no longer allowed to make a purchase. When asked to clarify this statement, he said it was “basically a threat,” officials said.
Hudson explained to police the gun he had originally belonged to a woman he used to talk to, and she gave it to him in September 2024. He said he was supposed to bring it back to her but never did. He said she might tell police that he stole it from her.
Court records say he also told police he shot the firearm one time behind a liquor store near him but did not recall the date. While saying this, he mentioned he didn’t want to walk around with it knowing he’s a felon, then spoke about his 2017 conviction for carrying a concealed weapon.
Hudson also admitted he previously lied to a detective, saying the firearm he had was a BB gun.
Pleaded guilty
According to court documents, Hudson pleaded guilty on Aug. 7, 2025.
He was sentenced to 15 months in prison and when he is released, he will be on supervised release for three years.