A business owner in Branford, Connecticut, says that a former employee stole some $248,000 worth of his products. To be specific, the man has been charged with stealing wine from the distribution company where he was employed. Murphy Distributors sells craft beers and artisan spirits as well as wine.
The 29-year-old former warehouse worker, from Branford, was already incarcerated on unrelated charges when he was charged with this crime. A second man from East Haven, who is 28, was also arrested in connection with the thefts. He is facing charges of first-degree larceny as well as conspiracy to commit larceny. He is currently free on $10,000 bond.
According to the owner of Murphy Distributors, he hasn't been able to recover any of the wine thus far. He says he first spotted a problem when he noticed some cases of wine missing. He says, "I was driving around the warehouse all hours of the night seeing if someone was coming and robbing us."
Authorities say that the two arrests came after a year-long investigation that included a search of telephone records and witness interviews. They are not finished with the investigation, and more arrests may be forthcoming. Law enforcement is reportedly looking at local restaurants and stores to find out who purchased the wine that was stolen. The company sells only to local businesses.
Property crimes can have serious legal ramifications, particularly when they involve significant amounts of money. Those ramifications can be even worse if a person already has a criminal record. If you or a loved one is facing such charges, it's essential to explore all of the possible legal options available.
Source: WTNH News 8, "More than $250,000 worth of wine stolen from Branford distributor," Tina Detelj and Keith Kountz, July 24, 2015