PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Thousands of bottles of bourbon were stolen from a North Philadelphia warehouse on Friday.
“This is the largest heist we've seen in this region this year. This is big,” said Rob Koch, the COO of A21 Wine and Spirits.
According to Koch, the thieves pulled up to a partner warehouse facility on North American Street, near York Street, between 1 and 3 p.m. with an 18-wheeler.
“The local team let them in, loaded the truck with 18 pallets of bourbon, which is about 11,000 bottles of Novo Oak bourbon, and sent them on their way.”
He said the warehouse staff was given false information about the pick-up, and they did not follow regular security protocols.
“Someone was very brazen to go after this much product and literally just to walk up to one of our warehouses or drive up to one of our warehouses and go after that.”
The company believes the stolen bourbon will be resold through unauthorized channels and secondary wholesalers.
Mark Newman, A21’s CEO, said it’s a big impact for a new company.
“Our replacement cost is probably at least $2,500,000, and the relative value is well in excess of $500,000 at retail.”
They ask retailers, bars and anywhere alcohol is sold to be on the lookout for unusual discounts and suspicious activity around Noble Oak Bourbon. Koch said they have photos and footage of the drivers and the ID they presented.
The FBI and Philadelphia police are investigating.
