The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A large shipment of bourbon worth more than $430,000 was stolen from a Philadelphia-area liquor warehouse after suspects allegedly tricked employees into loading the product onto a truck.
According to company officials, the theft involved 1,800 cases of Noble Oak Bourbon. Each case contained six bottles, with individual bottles selling for about $40. In total, the thieves allegedly left with approximately 10,800 bottles.
The company said the stolen bourbon could potentially be resold through illegal distribution channels. As a result, distributors, retailers, and consumers were urged to watch for unusually large quantities of Noble Oak being offered outside normal sales networks.
The authorities described the incident as a coordinated cargo theft operation. According to the company, the suspects arrived at the warehouse and convinced workers that they were authorized to receive the shipment. Employees then loaded the cases onto the truck before the suspects drove away with the product.
Company representatives said the suspects appeared to have knowledge of warehouse logistics and product movement schedules. They also stated that normal security procedures were not followed, which allegedly allowed the theft to take place.
The business said it was treating the incident as a serious criminal matter. Representatives noted that the stolen inventory came from a recently acquired premium bourbon brand.
After discovering the missing shipment, the company reported the theft to the authorities, as well as federal investigators and other agencies.
The company later attempted to bring some humor to the situation by publishing a social media post referring to the bourbon as the “hottest bottle in Philly” following the theft.
The investigation remains ongoing, and no arrests had been announced at the time this was written.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a theft offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.