"A former project manager for Francis Ford Coppola's Inglenook Winery in Rutherford is now facing criminal charges accusing him of taking $1.2 million from the sale of wine tanks and using the money for home improvements without the owner's permission. George Giles Beeker III was charged Oct. 2 with grand theft and embezzlement, according to the Napa County District Attorney's Office. The case builds on accusations first raised in a lawsuit Inglenook's owner, Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery, filed in July 2024."
"Prosecutors said he bought 120 fermentation tanks for the project, then sold 26 of them between December 2021 and January 2022. The sale brought in $1.2 million. Court records say Beeker used the proceeds for improvements on a property connected to the winery. He has maintained that he was authorized to sell the tanks and direct the funds to that property."
"Prosecutors told The Press Democrat on Tuesday that he has not been arrested and that a warrant issued Oct. 9 remains active. Beeker could not be reached for comment. But in a court filing from September 2024, he rejected the accusations, saying he sold the tanks with approval and used the money for a project owned by the winery."
George Giles Beeker III, a former Inglenook project manager, was charged Oct. 2 with grand theft and embezzlement for allegedly selling 26 fermentation tanks and retaining $1.2 million from the sales. Prosecutors say he sold the tanks and used the proceeds for improvements on a property tied to the winery. Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery sued in July 2024 accusing Beeker and MissionFirst Associates of misusing project funds and falsifying cost and reimbursement information, seeking more than $2.1 million in damages. Beeker denies wrongdoing and says he was authorized to sell the tanks and direct the funds to a winery project. A warrant issued Oct. 9 remains active; conviction could bring up to six years in prison.
Read at www.pressdemocrat.com
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