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Wine fraudster Rudy Kurniawan gets 10 years in jail | Wine fraudster Rudy Kurniawan gets 10 years in jail |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Wine fraudster Rudy Kurniawan, 37, has been sentenced to 10 years in jail and ordered to pay $20m (£11.8m) for his role in selling millions of dollars worth of fake wine. | Wine fraudster Rudy Kurniawan, 37, has been sentenced to 10 years in jail and ordered to pay $20m (£11.8m) for his role in selling millions of dollars worth of fake wine. |
He has also been ordered to pay $28.4m in restitution to victims, who include billionaire William Koch. | He has also been ordered to pay $28.4m in restitution to victims, who include billionaire William Koch. |
Mr Kurniawan is the first person ever to go to jail for selling fake wine in the US. | Mr Kurniawan is the first person ever to go to jail for selling fake wine in the US. |
He was found guilty of mixing old wine with newer vintages in his kitchen. | He was found guilty of mixing old wine with newer vintages in his kitchen. |
Mr Kurnaiwan then passed them off as even more expensive wines. | Mr Kurnaiwan then passed them off as even more expensive wines. |
The scheme ran from 2004 to 2012, according to government prosecutors. In December, he was found guilty of committing wire and mail fraud. | The scheme ran from 2004 to 2012, according to government prosecutors. In December, he was found guilty of committing wire and mail fraud. |
As an Indonesian national, Mr Kurniawan will be deported once his sentence is served. He has already spent two years in jail since being arrested in March of 2012. | As an Indonesian national, Mr Kurniawan will be deported once his sentence is served. He has already spent two years in jail since being arrested in March of 2012. |
Analysis: Michelle Fleury, New York Business Reporter | |
Rudy Kurniawan was rumbled selling fake vintage wines to fuel a lifestyle of fast cars and expensive art. | |
But we still don't know exactly how many bogus bottles he sold. And perhaps we never will. | |
Part of the problem is that many of his rich and famous clients kept quiet. Perhaps they were embarrassed. | |
Or maybe they were hoping to resell some of the wines they'd bought from him. | |
Only a handful of his victims ever stepped forward during his trial. | |
They included a billionaire (Bill Koch), a real estate mogul (Peter Fascitelli) and a California restaurateur (David Doyle). | |
'Extravagant purchases' | 'Extravagant purchases' |
An avid collector himself, Kurniawan was once considered one of the best aficionados in the world. | An avid collector himself, Kurniawan was once considered one of the best aficionados in the world. |
In 2006 alone, it was believed he sold up to 12,000 bottles at auction. | In 2006 alone, it was believed he sold up to 12,000 bottles at auction. |
But authorities were said to have found thousands of labels for fine Burgundy and Bordeaux wine along with full, unlabelled bottles in Kurniawan's home. | But authorities were said to have found thousands of labels for fine Burgundy and Bordeaux wine along with full, unlabelled bottles in Kurniawan's home. |
Prosecutors argued Kurniawan deserved a longer sentence because he flaunted his ill-gotten gains "with extravagant purchases of authentic wine, luxury cars, a Beverly Hills mansion, flights on private jets, designer watches and clothing, fine art and much more". | Prosecutors argued Kurniawan deserved a longer sentence because he flaunted his ill-gotten gains "with extravagant purchases of authentic wine, luxury cars, a Beverly Hills mansion, flights on private jets, designer watches and clothing, fine art and much more". |