NEW YORK (AP) — Federal prosecutors in New York have charged a noted wine collector with trying to sell more than $1.3 million worth of counterfeit bottles.
Authorities say millionaire collector Rudy Kurniawan was arrested Thursday in Los Angeles.
Prosecutors say that between 2007 and 2012, Kurniawan ran a series of frauds involving rare wines that trade for thousands of dollars per bottle. They say he repeatedly got caught trying to bamboozle wealthy buyers with sophisticated fakes.
One of Kurniawan's lawyers didn't immediately return a phone message Thursday seeking comment.
Kurniawan had been considered a leading collector and dealer in rare wines until recently, when some of his bottles were pulled from auctions because of questions about their authenticity.