Ringleader of the operation gets his sentence reduced

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The ringleader of a whiskey theft operation that’s already a part of Kentucky lore was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but his time behind bars is ending after a month.

A judge on Friday shortened the jail time for ex-distillery worker Gilbert “Toby” Curtsinger after prosecutors raised no objection to a defense request for shock probation.

Curtsinger’s release from jail could come as soon as Sunday — 30 days into his sentence, his attorney and a prosecutor said. It’s the least amount of time someone can serve before shock probation is allowed under state law.

During a brief court hearing, prosecutor Zachary Becker said there are too many drug traffickers and violent criminals “who deserve his cot in jail more than he does.”

He added that, “I cannot in good conscience oppose this motion,” given the cost of imprisoning more dangerous offenders.

Kentucky’s top public safety official has said the state’s prisons could run out of space by May 2019, possibly forcing the early release of thousands of nonviolent inmates as the state continues to grapple with the effects of an opioid epidemic.

Curtsinger, a former Buffalo Trace distillery employee, was at the center of the bourbon-heist scheme that spirited away tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of liquor. The thefts targeted the Buffalo Trace and Wild Turkey distilleries. He pleaded guilty to charges that included theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.

The thefts included hard-to-get and pricey brands such as Pappy Van Winkle bourbon. The local sheriff estimated the recovered whiskey was worth at least $100,000.

Becker said Friday he thought Curtsinger had been “appropriately shocked by this experience, so as not to reoffend,” given the punishments he’s received “both in and out of this courtroom.”

Curtsinger’s attorney, Whitney True Lawson, said Friday he has “suffered greatly because of his actions.” Lawson said the case amounted to a property crime, and that Curtsinger’s prior brushes with the law were limited to a couple of minor traffic offenses.

“This has been a lot of strife, a lot of struggle, a lot of hardship ... and he’s got a lot of repairing that he’s got to do,” Lawson told reporters after the hearing.