Detective: Key man in bourbon theft promoted the victim

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A detective says a Kentucky distillery worker who’s accused of leading a bourbon theft ring wore shirts promoting the distillery where he worked as he delivered stolen liquor.

Sheriff’s Detective Jeff Farmer says Gilbert "Toby" Curtsinger also delivered purloined barrels covered by a tarp in a pickup truck.

Farmer says the ring that prosecutors say was led by Curtsinger operated for years and turned into a lucrative business.

Curtsinger was among nine people indicted Tuesday in Kentucky on charges of spiriting away large volumes of whiskey, by the bottle and the barrel.

©2015 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.