Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits has settled with US federal prosecutors over an investigation into improper payments and benefits.
The US distributor has struck a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with the Department of Justice and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).
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According to a statement from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California on Thursday (10 September), Southern Glazer’s has agreed to pay $12.5m to resolve the investigation as part of the settlement.
Government officials had been looking into payments and benefits provided to staff at retail customers.
In March, a federal grand jury in California indicted five former senior staff members at Southern Glazer’s for alleged bribery.
According to the office’s statement on Thursday, the conduct involved Southern Glazer’s staff funding and concealing payments linked to the promotion and sale of alcohol products the company distributed.
Southern Glazer’s executives based in California were “directly involved in the conduct”, the office said.
The conduct included cash payments, prepaid gift cards, flights, golf trips and luxury goods, along with the falsification of documents.
According to the office, the practice was concealed through the use of third-party vendors and false invoices.
Southern Glazer’s, which is headquartered in Miami, said the resolution relates to a previously disclosed investigation involving former employees. The investigation “focused primarily on activities which occurred many years ago”, the distributor said.
The company said it cooperated with authorities and “accepts responsibility for the conduct and lapses acknowledged in the NPA”.
The agreement requires “other obligations over the next two years”, the company said. Prosecutors said Southern Glazer’s agreed to implement “robust steps” to enhance compliance with federal and state laws prohibiting bribery and other improper payments. The distributor also agreed to continue cooperating with officials in any related prosecutions, including against current or former employees.
US attorney Craig Missakian said: “Southern Glazer’s employees tried to distort the wine and spirits market in California through bribes and other improper conduct and in the end it was the consumer that lost out.”
Southern Glazer’s president and CEO Wayne Chaplin said the company had strengthened its compliance programme in recent years, adding: “Southern’s business practices must adhere to the highest standards of ethics.”
The TTB said the case was a reminder that companies can be accountable for actions taken on their behalf by third parties. Southern Glazer’s said the TTB has agreed to take no action against the company for the conduct involved in the investigation.
