One company claims on its website that buying whiskey “helps you get a bit of history.” Another says he specializes in the acquisition and sale of “the world’s most illustrious, exciting and fun investment-eligible” wines.
However, federal court records show that the people behind the two and third companies are 150 people across the United States by using elaborate plans to promise profits for whiskey and fine wines. As mentioned above, we have scammed more than 13 million dollars mainly for the elderly. That they never received.
The accusation is included in an affidavit filed in federal court in Ohio in connection with last week’s arrest of Casey Alexander, who said the authorities participated in a plan that began in the United Kingdom.
Alexander and “another unknown conspirator” were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud as part of a plan, according to court documents filed with the United States District Court in the Northern District of Ohio. According to court records, Alexander was released on a $ 50,000 bond. His lawyer, John J. Spellacy, did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
According to court documents, Charles Winn LLC, Windsor Jones LLC, and Vintage Whiskey Casks LLC each have an address in Delaware. None of the three companies responded to Tuesday’s request for comment.
In an affidavit, Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent Matthew E. Scarisi convinces dozens of people behind the company to call dozens of people to send money or check the business. Said that he did.
The conspirators used “aggressive and deceptive tactics”, false names, and promises to store fine wines and whiskey in British warehouses, but they created value.
According to the affidavit, after the initial investment, the conspirators kept in touch with the target people by email or phone and persuaded them to continue investing with a promise of “greater profits.”
Daniel Ball, a spokesman for a US lawyer in northern Ohio, declined to comment on the case on Tuesday.
According to court documents, the FBI learned of the plan in April 2020 after a targeted 89-year-old male son notified police in Highland Heights, Ohio, near Cleveland.
The man told authorities that his father had been scammed by one of the companies, Charles Win, for more than $ 300,000. The man said his father believed he was investing in “rare dessert wines” that would increase in value over time.
According to court documents, Charles Winn LLC is registered in Delaware and is “headquartered” in the United Kingdom.
According to court documents, several other complaints were filed with Highland police in 2019, and victims were cold-called by either “Robert Wilson” or “Sebastian Renner,” claiming to represent Charleswin LLC. Reported that it was done.
According to the document, another 73-year-old from Grandville, Mississippi, sent $ 85,560 to Charleswin for “rare European wines.” The document said the company promised a return on investment of 35-40% and claimed that there were Chinese buyers who were willing to pay for rare wines.
Around December 2020, another said a representative claiming to be from a vintage whiskey barrel called for attention to “whiskey investment opportunities.” The representative was later identified as Mr. Alexander.
Around November 2021, Alexander met him in Phoenix and talked about whiskey for about an hour, he said. -Scottish end investor. “
He later called from another representative of the company and said he asked him to buy Hogshead whiskey for $ 250,000. (The person sent a check for $ 100,000, but he stopped it after authorities contacted them.)
According to the document, internal witnesses began working with authorities around May 2020 from state securities agencies, including the Texas Securities Commission, and lawyers representing those who claim they were taken. He reported receiving several cease and desist letters. ..
A federal investigator said the company “returned about $ 250,000 of the $ 13 million victims invested in wine and whiskey fraud programs.”
