A rogue distillery worker at the center of a bourbon-heist scheme that spirited away tens of thousands of dollars' worth of liquor has pleaded guilty in a case that has already secured a place in Kentucky lore.
Gilbert "Toby" Curtsinger, accused as the ringleader of the operation that stole bourbon from a pair of Kentucky distilleries, entered the plea Wednesday in Franklin County Circuit Court to charges including theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.
The one-time Buffalo Trace distillery employee faces up to 15 years in prison.
His attorney Whitney Lawson says Curtsinger agreed to the plea deal so "he can find some peace and some resolution to this." The thefts included pricey brands such as Pappy Van Winkle bourbon.
