Men charged with $100,000 liquor theft to appear in court
The liquor ranged from 'common brands to higher end exclusive stuff,' say police
Three men, including an employee of the Liquor Distribution Branch, are scheduled to appear in court Thursday charged with stealing more than $100,000 worth of alcohol from a warehouse.
Rakesh Prakash Sharma, 52, and Krishneel Reddy, 35, both of Surrey face five counts of theft over $5,000.
Kamlesh Reddy, a 43-year-old from Delta was charged with one count of theft over $5,000 and possession of stolen property.
It has not been confirmed which of the men is the liquor distribution branch employee.
Police executed a search warrant May 14, at a Delta home, which is where they say they recovered the alcohol.
1,000 bottles
The stolen liquor ranged from "common brands to higher end exclusive stuff," according to Sgt. Jason Doucette of Vancouver Police.
Earlier, he said there were "boxes and boxes" of hard liquor totalling about 1,000 bottles.
"This investigation remains active and we are continuing to work with our partners at the LDB to determine if there is evidence of additional offences," Doucette said in an email.
The charges cover a five-month period between Dec. 13 and May 14.
The charges against Sharma and Krishneel Reddy cite five specific dates when the alcohol was allegedly stolen. The LDB launched an investigation after discrepancies were found in the inventory, which is tracked daily, according to spokesperson Viviana Zanocco.
Police and the LDB investigated before moving in on May 14 and seized the alcohol.
The men were all released on bail.
The Liquor Distribution Branch has not brought in new security measures, Zanocco said in an email.
"It is done as far as we are concerned in terms of the incident."
The theft occurred at the Vancouver distribution centre at Rupert and Broadway, which is where the employee was arrested.