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+--- Thread: Warning on private wine sales (/thread-2899.html)
- winecollector - 05-24-2000
Some of you may have heard about what happened last August. A wine collector by the name of Mark Phillips, a resident of Virginia, was arrested for selling a bottle of 1991 Lafite Rothschild from his private collection. He had posted a note on the web indicating he wanted to sell some of his Chateau Lafite Rothschild. An interested buyer contacted Mr. Phillips, and purchased a bottle of his 1991 Lafite. That buyer turned out to be an undercover agent for the Virginia ABC. His house (as well as his family), were subjected to an armed raid, with 12 additional bottles of Lafite being confiscated, and his family traumatized. He was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor, and if convicted, could have faced up to a year in jail, and a $2,500 fine. Though his lawyer was able to get the case dismissed about six weeks later due to lack of admissible evidence, I bring up this incident for a very good reason.
This web site constantly receives several postings from people looking to sell wine, many from states that have laws prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages by private individuals. I personally live in one of those states. It would be very easy for an undercover agent to come on here misleadingly, and try to "entrap" any number of people into selling or purchasing wine from an illegal source. It would be a terrible tragedy if one of our members fell for one of these traps.
So my advise to you, my fellow members as well as new members, is to please use discernment when you see these posting come up. It is likely that the majority of these postings are from individuals that are just curious as to the value of their wines, or that may not be aware of the laws of their state. However, I suspect that not all of them are "private individuals," either possibly being an undercover agent of a state, or even B.A.T.F. . So please be careful guys!
If anyone would like more information on the "Phillips" case, it was reported on in the Oct 15 and the Nov. 30, 1999 issues of the Wine Spectator.