Crime & Safety

Arcadia Wine Dealer on Trial for Multiple Counts of Fraud

Rudy Kurniawan, 35, allegedly participated in several fraudulent plots involving his wine business, prosecutors say.

An Arcadia wine collector put on a "magic show" to fool buyers into thinking he had access to the world's rarest bottles, a prosecutor told a New York jury Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. 

According to the charges, Rudy Kurniawan, 35, made wine in his kitchen in Arcadia and passed it off as vintage wine.

Kurniawan allegedly took part in several fraudulent plots involving his wine business, including trying to sell counterfeit wine, which if genuine, would have been valued at more than $1.3 million, according to statement released by the United States Attorney’s Office when the charges were announced in 2012.

The alleged crimes took place between 2007 and 2012. A complaint filed in 2012 in federal court said Kurniawan attempted to have 162 bottles of counterfeit rare wine sold at auction in 2008 and 2012 and also obtained millions of dollars in loans to fund an extravagant lifestyle.

Click here to see Patch's report on Kurniawan's arrest. 

Reza Gostar contributed to this report. 


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