Kurniawan to be sentenced today

Convicted wine fraudster Rudy Kurniawan will be sentenced today in New York.

Kurniawan was found guilty on multiple accounts of fraud worth last December, including mail fraud for making fake wines which he then sold for $1.3m between 2004 – 2012 and also wire fraud for using the counterfeit wines as collateral to secure a loan of $3 million.

He is believed to have sold 12,000 bottles at auction in 2006.

Since then his sentencing has been delayed several times, his first sentencing in April was delayed until May and then delayed again until this month.

Kurniawan could be given a maximum of 20 years in jail and multiple fines – billionaire Bill Koch is taking him to court immediately after this case is finished.

The prosecuting team have argued that the Indonesian-born Kurniawan acted out of “greed” and demanded 14 years, while his defence have said he was a naïf who found himself among rich friends he then tried to impress.

They’ve pleaded for a more lenient 29 months behind bars.

The full details of Kurniwan’s sentencing will appear on the drinks business later today.