FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) – The Kentucky distillery worker who’s accused of leading a bourbon theft ring wore shirts promoting the distillery where he worked – and also stole liquor – as he delivered purloined barrels covered by a tarp in a pickup truck, a detective said.
The ring that prosecutors say was led by Gilbert “Toby” Curtsinger operated for years and turned into a lucrative business, said Franklin County sheriff’s detective Jeff Farmer.
“He made a lot of money off of it,” Farmer said.
Curtsinger was among nine people indicted Tuesday on charges of spiriting away large volumes of whiskey, by the bottle and the barrel.
Curtsinger often relied on go-betweens to find customers, Farmer said. Some middle men are among the people under indictment, he said. The group often made connections through softball tournaments, he said.