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3w ago

Five Former Distributor Executives and Napa Salesman Indicted in California Wine Bribery Case

Filings describe kickbacks disguised as marketing to sway Albertsons and Vons shelf space, with initial court appearances set for March 25.

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Wines are poured at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Trade Day hosted by Wine Spectator at Grand Tasting at Brooklyn Army Terminal on October 18, 2024 in New York City. Executives from the distributor have been indicted in an alleged bribery scheme. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for NYCWFF)
Wines at the Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Trade Day hosted by Wine Spectator at Grand Tasting at Brooklyn Army Terminal on October 18, 2024 in New York City. The company has been frequently criticized for its anti-competitive practices, and executives have now been charged with an alleged bribery scheme to favor their products on California grocery store shelves. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for NYCWFF)
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Overview

  • A federal grand jury in Oakland charged Stephen Magliocco, Michael Dehdashtian, Adrian Ruiz, Ryan Dow, Loratina “Tina” Muscara, and Michael Sean Salene with conspiracy, bribery-related offenses, and falsifying records.
  • Prosecutors say the scheme ran from 2016 to March 2024 and used false invoices and forged receipts to hide prepaid gift cards, luxury travel, cash, and goods provided to retail buyers.
  • Examples cited in the indictment include a 2020 shipment of about $10,000 in prepaid Visa cards and a forged hotel bill used to conceal a $2,000 cash bribe.
  • The distributor is not named in the indictment, though reporting identifies it as Southern Glazer’s, and the grocery chain is identifiable as Albertsons and its Vons subsidiary.
  • The investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with IRS and TTB involvement follows earlier guilty pleas by supplier-side figures, including Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits executives and former Albertsons buyer Patrick Briones.