Wine Club Scam

Filed in archive Wine Clubs on November 2, 2006

Really! Is there nothing that some people won't do to make a dishonest buck these days?

Like many other industries, wine is a big business, and that means some people actually invest in wine. And I don't mean invest in buying it for use this weekend. Of course, one guy figured out a way to make this into a scam. While it's not really the traditional wine club like I belong to, it reminds me of the "if it sounds good to be true" adage.

From The Monterey Herald:

Ronald Wallace, 49, appeared in federal court Monday to be sentenced. But after several hours of testimony from doctors about Wallace's medical condition, U.S. District Judge Consuelo Marshall moved the hearing back several weeks.

Wallace pleaded guilty in June 2005 to two counts of mail fraud, four counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Prosecutors are recommending he receive between seven and nine years in prison.

Wallace ran an online and mail-order business that specialized in collectable wines. Prosecutors said he promised wine futures to his clients but rarely delivered. Wine futures allow customers to purchase a specific vintage years before it's bottled and publicly released.

Hundreds of clients claimed they were owed as much as $13 million worth of wine between 1999 and 2003. Among Wallace's victims were Guess? Inc. co-founders Paul and Maurice Marciano, philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer and "Rush Hour" movie producer Arthur Sarkissian.