Son of famous vintner owes $5.000.000,- after using it on personal expenses
Author: Bram Faber, November 28th 2022
Son of famous Napa Valley vintner Andy Beckstoffer, Tuck Beckstoffer, is ordered to pay back $5.1 million after spending company funds on luxury cars, landscaping his own property and personal trips.
Credit: Image by Amulet Estate
According to an arbitration agreement written by retired federal judge Elizabeth D. Laporte, Tuck Beckstoffer must also dissociate from the winery, meaning he must give up his 30% ownership of the company now known as Amulet Estate. Court documents show that Beckstoffer got a $450.000,- yearly salary, but in 2019, Matthew Cribbins - one of the partners in the winery, discovered that Beckstoffer was using company funds for his own expenses.
Landscaping, interior design, hunting expeditions and gun shows
The same court documents also show that Beckstoffer spend more then $100.000,- on landscaping at his own home, almost $35.000,- on interior design and more than $165.000,- on personal trips like hunting expeditions and gun shows.A loss of $228.036,- on the modification of a 1966 Ford pick-up truck must also be paid back by Beckstoffer, after the winery was able to sell the pick-up truck for only $82.800,-.
Instagram post unmasks theft of a $60.000,- tractor
Allegedly Beckstoffer stole more than $200.000,- worth of property from the winery, including a $60.000,- John Deere tractor. When questioned about this suspected theft by the partners of the company, he lied and told that the vehicle was destroyed during the 2017 wildfires.Later Beckstoffer posted a picture of himself with his son riding the tractor on Instagram with the caption ‘Sunday Funday’. After being confronted with the picture, he returned the tractor. In her report judge Elizabeth D. Laporte wrote that “Beckstoffer’s conduct was reprehensible and warrants punitive damages.”. According to Laporte the other partners proved that Mr. Beckstoffer misappropriated Winery funds and assets consistently over the course of several years, sometimes through elaborate fraudulent schemes and at others through outright theft and easily disproven lies.”.
Amulet Estate
The documents show that after Beckstoffer was fired from his positions as manager and CEO of the winery in October 2020, the name of the winery was changed from Tuck Beckstoffer Wines to Amulet Estate.
Credit: Image by Amulet Estate
The winery produces Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines that are sourced from carefully selected vineyard sites, working with a deep respect for the land and expressing the elegant Napa Valley terroir. Beckstoffer was initially charged with a lawsuit by the partners of the company, which then became an arbitration. He countered this lawsuit with claims against the partners. Some of these claims were later withdrawn and others denied by Laporte. It is yet to be determined what will happen with the 30% share of the company now that Beckstoffer is ordered to give up his share.
