The U.S. Attorney’s Office has reported that over $727,053 worth of whiskey shipments was stolen from Barton Brands’ Warehouse in Bardstown, KY and Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg, TN.
United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr. announced a guilty plea of a Lithuanian man to a single charge of conspiracy for his role in the theft of interstate shipments from warehouses and distribution facilities in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Shipments Picked Up But Never Delivered
Vismantas Danyla, 35, admitted in court to conspiring with others between October of 2014, and April of 2015, to submit fraudulent documents purporting to be a legitimate shipping company to transportation brokers. In turn, the brokers hired Danyla and others to ship goods including alcohol from Barton Brands’ Warehouse in Bardstown, Kentucky, alcohol from Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee. The shipments were never delivered to the purchasers, but, rather, were stolen and driven to a warehouse located in Chicago, Illinois, for illegal distribution.
Barton Brands Warehouse – $130,000
As part of the conspiracy, Danyla and others submitted fraudulent Commonwealth of Kentucky liquor licenses and fictitious shipping documents to personnel at Barton Brand’s Warehouse in Bardstown. On or about October 23, 2014, Danyla, and other co-conspirators, stole and transported alcohol from Barton Brands’ Warehouse and transported it to Chicago for illegal distribution. The shipment was not delivered to its intended buyer Central Liquor Company in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was valued at approximately $130,000.
Jack Daniel’s Distillery – $597,053
On April 7, 2015, Danyla and other co-conspirators submitted, fictitious shipping documents to personnel at Brown-Foreman’s Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Danyla admits to stealing and transporting two loads of alcohol from Jack Daniels Distillery to a warehouse in Chicago. The shipments never reached its intended destination of North Las Vegas, Nevada and Sparks, Nevada. The values of the shipments were approximately $201,032.55 (North Las Vegas) and $207,705.52 (Sparks).
Further, on April 9, 2015, Danyla admits to conspiring with others to submit fictitious shipping documents to personnel at Jack Daniels Distillery. Danyla and other co-conspirators stole and transported alcohol from Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg to Chicago. The shipment never reached its intended destination of Phoenix, Arizona. The value of this shipment was approximately $188,314.88.
And It Wasn’t Just Whiskey
On or about October 24, 2014, Danyla, and other co-conspirators, submitted fictitious shipping and identification documents to personnel at South Wire in Carrollton, Georgia. Danyla other co-conspirators stole and transported copper wire to Chicago for illegal distribution. The shipment of wire was never delivered to the purchaser Rail Products, located in Columbus, Ohio. It was valued at approximately $139,911.72.
Danyla faces a maximum term of five years in prison, a combined maximum fine of $250,000, an order of restitution, and a three year term of supervised release. Danyla is scheduled for sentencing before Senior District Judge Thomas B. Russell, on August 17, 2016, in Louisville, KY.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Judd, and is being investigated by the FBI, Illinois State Police, Kentucky State Police, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
