The Whiskey Reviewer A World of Whiskey, Poured Every Weekday
By Richard Thomas
Nine people were indicted on charges related to the theft of bourbon whiskey from Buffalo Trace and Wild Turkey on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
The “bourbon heist” storyline began in October 2013 when more than 60 cases of the prized Pappy Van Winkle bourbon disappeared from storage at Buffalo Trace Distillery. Attention first focused on Christopher Pickett, a school principal in Bardstown, Kentucky, but Mr. Pickett was not among the nine indicted Tuesday.
The first break in the case that led to the current indictments came when Gilbert Thomas Curtsinger, a longtime Buffalo Trace employee, was arrested in March. Five barrels of stolen Wild Turkey bourbon were found in his home, along with several firearms and a stash of illegal steroids.
In addition to Curtsinger, described as the ringleader of the bourbon heist crew, eight others were charged:
- Julie Curtsinger, wife of Gilbert
- Mark S. Searcy
- Ronnie Lee Hubbard
- Dusty H. Adkins
- Christopher L. Preston
- Joshua T. Preston
- Robert M. McKinney
- Shawn E. Ballard
Beyond Curtsinger himself, crew members included employees of both Buffalo Trace and Wild Turkey. In addition to the Wild Turkey barrels and Pappy Van Winkle bottles, other barrels of Buffalo Trace bourbon and bottles of Eagle Rare have been recovered and linked to the crew. They are also charged with trafficking in steroids. According to Franklin County Sheriff Pat Melton, the Curtsinger crew’s criminal activities date back to 2008.
Sheriff Melton indicated the investigation of the Curtsinger crew was a collaborative effort involving several Kentucky county sheriffs departments, the office of Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway, the Indiana Excise Police and the US Postal Service.
I heard there were a busload of unindicted co-conspirators.