Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 10/30/2008

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Hilary Moores - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Assistant District Attorney Christine Cook

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

FORMER KENDALL-JACKSON EMPLOYEE ADMITS FELONIES FOR STEALING COMPANY WINE AND SELLING IT ON CRAIGSLIST

District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua announced that Jordan Patrick Crass, age 30, of Santa Rosa entered pleas of no contest to six felony counts, including felony grand theft, burglary, and alteration of computer records, on Wednesday, October 29, 2008.  He also admitted a sentencing enhancement based on the excessive amount of the loss. Crass entered his pleas after Superior Court Judge Rene Chouteau indicated that he would not sentence Crass to prison for the crimes.

The charges in this case arose out of an investigation which began when Kendall Jackson employees found unreleased wines that had been produced by the company being sold on the Internet.  An internal investigation by Kendall-Jackson revealed that Crass, a warehouse employee, had been stealing cases of high-end, unreleased wines and then altering company computer records in an effort to cover up his actions.  After removing the wine from the warehouse, Crass then advertised his willingness to sell and trade wine on Craigslist.com.  Kevin Hall, age 30, and Jarrett Berg, age 29, both of Napa, responded to Crass’ advertisements and purchased several cases of the unreleased wines from Crass.  Hall and Berg distributed the stolen wines to various wine merchants, who then sold the products on the Internet.  The total estimated value of the stolen wine is well in excess of $100,000.00.  The conduct occurred from December, 2006 through April of 2007.

Hall and Berg also entered no contest pleas, each to one count of misdemeanor possession of stolen property.  Mr. Hall was sentenced to five months in jail and Mr. Berg was sentenced to three months in jail.  Hall and Berg will both will be on probation for a period of two years and will pay restitution to Kendall-Jackson as part of the sentence.

Crass will be sentenced by Judge Chouteau in Department Four on December 1, 2008 at 9:00 a.m.  The maximum sentence he could face as a result of his pleas is 7 years, 4 months.

Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department Sergeant Randy Williams headed up the investigation and Deputy District Attorney Robin Hammond is the prosecutor assigned to the case.