Wine Auctioneer Convicted of Grand Theft
11/12/2014
Wine Auctioneer Convicted of Grand Theft
Joshua Krummenoehl, founder and owner of WineGavel.com, pleaded guilty on November 12, 2014, to felony embezzlement, admitted to an excessive taking enhancement of over $200,000, and stipulated to restitution in the amount $501,510.68 as a result of a negotiated disposition in a case alleging twelve counts of theft and embezzlement of wine consignors’ money. He is facing up to a 40 month prison commitment. The Northern California Computer Crimes Task Force conducted the investigation involving twelve separate victims who consigned wine with Napa online auction company WineGavel and were not paid when their wine sold. Krummenoehl started WineGavel in 2009, and by 2010, began using consignors’ profits to fund company expenditures. By February of 2011, aware that the company's debt to previous consignors was approximately $600,000 and growing, Krummenoehl solicited and took consignments from twelve victims between February 2011 and March 2012. He kept, sold, or misplaced the wine entrusted to him. He remains out of custody and a sentencing hearing is set for January 27, 2015, in Napa County Superior Court.