A man from the United Kingdom was arraigned Friday in Brooklyn federal court following charges concerning a $99 million money laundering operation conducted via a fake wine company.
James Wellesley, 56, was arraigned after his extradition from the U.K., where he and co-defendant Stephen Burton, 58, were arrested in 2022.
The charges include wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy involving alleged activities through Bordeaux Cellars, a business managed by Wellesley and Burton.
A pair of British men are accused of scamming investors out of nearly $100 million in an alleged wine fraud scheme. (iStock)
Ricky Patel, HSI New York special agent in charge, accused the duo of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from collectors.
“James Wellesley and his accomplice are alleged to have orchestrated their almost $100 million global fraud scheme, which took advantage of unsuspecting individuals, including those in New York, for their personal gain,” stated Patel.
“As alleged, the defendants claimed Bordeaux Cellars boasted a high-value wine stockpile and a clientele of ‘high-net-worth wine collectors’ and, in turn, profited handsomely, all while they swindled investors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more.”
Burton was extradited from Morocco in 2023 and is awaiting trial. Wellesley was ordered detained pending trial.
If convicted, the pair face up to 20 years in prison.
