The chief executive of Soylent, a meal replacement drink start-up based in Los Angeles, was charged on Friday with four criminal counts stemming from his refusal to move an abandoned shipping container from a Montecito Heights hillside.
Rob Rhinehart Jr., co-founder of the vegan, powdered drink, faces zoning code violations, construction and grading without permits, and failure to comply with orders from the Department of Building and Safety, according to the L.A. City Attorney.
“Unpermitted structures pose a safety risk. They also can be unsightly and erode the quality of life in a neighborhood,” said City Attorney Mike Feuer in a statement. “My office will work to hold property owners accountable if they flout our building and safety laws.”
The filing comes amid a flurry of public controversy surrounding Rhinehart’s use of his mostly vacant plot on Ashland Avenue. The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety first visited the site in January amid neighbor complaints of unpermitted construction. Follow-up investigations found that work on the site had continued unapproved, and in April, inspectors discovered a red shipping container, which Rhinehart claimed was an “experimental living facility,” according to the City Attorney.
In June, after investigators discovered that the container had become covered in graffiti and had its windows broken in, the City Attorney’s office met with Rhinehart to resolve the issue. Rhinehart allegedly refused to remove the container or agree to any timeline of compliance. His arraignment is now scheduled for September, and if convicted could face $4,000 in fines and up to two years in jail.
At least he’ll be prepared for the bland food. Rhinehart’s Soylent, which he launched in 2013 with four other 20-something year olds, has been described as being plaster-like, flavorless, and purely utilitarian.
Rhinehart’s laughing all the way to the bank however, after securing $20 million in Series A funding last year and shipping millions of Soylent meals.
Staff reporter Hayley Fox can be reached at [email protected]. Follow @EPfox on Twitter for the latest in L.A. news.
