Last month, though, The New York Times reported that the store had not delivered large quantities of valuable wine to customers who had paid in advance. Sherry-Lehmann, which was founded in Manhattan in 1934, has long been one of the elite sellers of fine wines in the United States. NEW YORK - The Justice Department has convened a federal grand jury as part of a criminal investigation into Sherry-Lehmann Wine & Spirits, the venerable New York City wine merchant, according to former employees who have been contacted by authorities. Some of the wines sold by Sherry-Lehmann sell for thousands of dollars a bottle.Sherry Lehmann Wine & Spirits in New York, March 28, 2023. The investigation is being handled in part by the FBI’s art crime team, whose mission includes investigations involving rare antiques and other valuable collectibles. People familiar with the criminal investigation said the Justice Department was taking the lead, in part because wine was shipped across state lines. Sherry-Lehmann is also delinquent on $2.7 million in unpaid sales tax and owes lenders millions of dollars more. Andrus said Friday that Sherry-Lehmann “has met its rent obligations.” Wine Spectator magazine recently reported that Sherry-Lehmann’s landlord planned to move to evict the store unless it paid $3.6 million in back rent by June 16. Sherry-Lehmann’s Park Avenue store has been closed since March. A spokesperson for the family responded that wasn’t true. Gilmer said at the time that the transfer was a mistake and would be returned to the Bass family within days, along with all the other wine the Basses were storing at Wine Caves.Īndrus said the Bass family picked up its wine on June 1. The Times reported last month that wine owned by Mercedes Bass, former wife of oil billionaire Sid Bass, had been removed from Wine Caves without her permission and delivered to another customer. Green is a former hedge fund executive and Sherry-Lehmann customer who became co-owner in 2013. Gilmer started at Sherry-Lehmann as a temporary worker before becoming a full-time salesperson and eventually a co-owner. The authority is cooperating with the criminal investigation. (The Times disclosed in its May 25 article that this reporter had paid about $6,300 for wine that he never received from Sherry-Lehmann.)Īfter the Times article was published, the state Liquor Authority opened an investigation, according to William Crowley, a spokesperson for the authority. Sherry-Lehmann has denied wrongdoing and sought to dismiss the suits. Three Sherry-Lehmann customers have filed lawsuits against the store, claiming to have never received more than $1 million in wine that they had paid for. Gilmer didn’t address why a Sherry-Lehmann invoice listed the transaction as a sale. Gilmer previously denied that Sherry-Lehmann sold wine while its license was suspended, saying the real estate investor simply wanted his wine transferred from Wine Caves to another storage facility. Before the license was restored weeks later, Sherry-Lehmann sold $358,000 of wine to a real estate investor, according to invoices and other records reviewed by the Times. The New York State Liquor Authority suspended Sherry-Lehmann’s liquor license this year after the store failed to pay a renewal fee. It is focused, at least in part, on Shyda Gilmer and Kris Green, owners of Sherry-Lehmann, according to former employees, who said they had been questioned about their dealings with the owners. attorney’s office in Manhattan, the Postal Service and the New York Police Department. The criminal investigation is being conducted by agencies including the U.S. The Times also quoted former employees who believed Sherry-Lehmann was improperly selling clients’ rare bottles from a storage facility to other customers. Sherry Lehmann Wine & Spirits in New York, March 28, 2023.
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