Man sentenced to 15 months in French Laundry wine theft

SAN JOSE - A federal judge in California sentenced a man Tuesday to 15 months in prison following his conspiracy conviction in the theft of more than $500,000 worth of wine from a famed Napa Valley restaurant, prosecutors said.

U.S. District Court Judge Beth Labson Freeman also ordered defendant Davis Kiryakoz to pay nearly $600,000 in restitution, U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Abraham Simmons said.

Kiryakoz pleaded guilty in December to one count of conspiracy to transport stolen goods. Prosecutors said he acknowledged stealing 110 bottles of high-end wine from the restaurant French Laundry in December 2014 and later selling some of it to a buyer in North Carolina.

The theft occurred after Chef Thomas Keller's restaurant closed for renovations.

The Yountville establishment is rated three stars in the Michelin guide, the most respected restaurant ranking system. The stolen wine included a bottle that can cost up to $10,000.

Kiryakoz also acknowledged stealing another $320,000 worth of wine from a steak house and a wine store, prosecutors said.

The U.S. Attorney's Office sought a two-year sentence while Kiryakoz asked for probation. An email to his attorney, Jay Rorty, was not returned.

A second man, Alfred Georgis, has also been charged in the case. He is scheduled to change his plea in May.

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This story has been corrected to reflect that the sentence was 15 months, not 72 months. The U.S. Attorney's Office initially provided the wrong information.