Napa Winery Salesman Charged In Bribery Scheme: DA

NAPA VALLEY, CA — A salesman for a Napa Valley winery has been charged in connection with a bribery scheme involving executives at one of the nation's top alcohol distributors and a large chain grocery store, authorities said.

A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted five high-level employees at Southern Glazer and a salesman for their roles, which involved bribing someone assigned to buy alcohol for Albertsons.

The executives knew their distribution company or partners weren't allowed to pay bribes to alcohol retailers and wholesalers to purchase certain brands and exclude others, but did so anyway, according to the United States Attorney's Office.

Some of the bribes included prepaid gift cards of up to $1,000 each, luxury and designer items such as watches and purses, along with golf trips and exercise equipment, according to federal prosecutors.

They would then conceal the bribes by creating fake invoices that made the items appear as legitimate business expenses, federal prosecutors said.

When investigators learned about the scheme and questioned the salesman about it, he lied to them, according to authorities.

The Napa Valley winery salesman was identified as Michael Sean Salene, 60, of Garden City, Idaho.

The five executives were identified as Stephen Magliocco, 47, of Trabuco Canyon; Michael Dehdashtian, 48, of Lake Forest; Adrian Ruiz, 54, of Corona; Ryan Dow, 40, of Upland; and Loratina Muscara, 64, of Livermore.

Magliocco, Dehdashtian, Ruiz, Dow, and Muscara were each charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and obstruct investigations, while Salene was charged with Travel Act bribery and making false statements.

Magliocco, Ruiz, and Muscara face additional charges of falsifying records to obstruct investigations, authorities said.