Man sentenced in theft of wines from California restaurants

A federal judge in California has sentenced a second defendant to prison on a conspiracy charge stemming from the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars of high-end wine from restaurants. (Pixabay photo)

SAN JOSE, Calif. — A federal judge in California has sentenced a second defendant to prison on a conspiracy charge stemming from the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars of high-end wine from restaurants, including the famed French Laundry in Napa Valley.

Prosecutors say U.S. District Judge Beth Freeman in San Jose sentenced 53-year-old Alfred Georgis on Tuesday to 37 months in prison.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Georgis acknowledged as part of a plea deal that he conspired with a second man, Davis Kiryakoz, to steal more than 100 bottles of wine from French Laundry in December 2014 and then sell some of it to a buyer in North Carolina.

Georgis pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport stolen goods.

The 44-year-old Kiryakoz received a 15-month prison term in March.