Fraankfort, Ky. - Nine people were charged on Tuesday in Kentucky with stealing more than $100 000 worth of bourbon whiskey.
Prosecutors say the plot was led by distillery workers who had been taking bourbon for years. The theft came to light when barrels were discovered behind a shed.
Stolen bourbon included Wild Turkey and the expensive Pappy Van Winkle brand, made by Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, prosecutors said.
Bourbon, which is made with at least 51 percent corn and aged in charred new oak barrels, is a $3 billion industry in Kentucky, according to the Kentucky Distillers' Association.
The state produces 95 percent of the world's bourbon supply.
Reuters