Crime Doesn’t Pay

Rudy Kurniawan, the wine counterfeiter, was recently sentenced to 10 years behind bars and ordered to pay restitution of $28.4 million, and forfeit an additional $20 million as punishment.  Who gets the $20 million?  We don’t know.  Probably the government.

Over an eight-year period, Kurniawan sold about $50 million worth of fake wine concocted in his kitchen then poured into empty bottles of rare and expensive wines he obtained from restaurants or elsewhere.  He then affixed clever counterfeit labels, which he created.  Apparently he had a good palate and using lower priced wines could create a blend to replicate the taste, color and character of rare wines.  One client spent more than $231,000 on a single bottle.

Rudy Kurniawan came to the U.S. from Indonesia at age 16 on a student visa.  He is now 37 years old and he remained here illegally.  His family was wealthy and for several years he spent $1 million a month buying rare vintages. He sold part of his collection for $36 million in 2006.  His lawyer claimed he simply wanted to be accepted in the circle of wealthy wine connoisseurs and collectors – the very people he was ripping off.

Too bad, Rudy.  Now it’s time for us to open a bottle of Two Buck Chuck.  Cheers!