Incident Overview
A British woman has been arrested on charges of assisting an accomplice in the theft of six bottles of high-end French wine from a restaurant in Virginia.
L’Auberge Provencale Inn & Restaurant, located in Boyce, approximately 70 miles west of Washington, reported that two suspects posed as event planners during their visit earlier this month. They distracted the staff to execute their plan.
Natali Ray, aged 56, reportedly used the alias “Stephanie Baker” and claimed she was selecting wine for a non-existent event. This information comes from CCTV footage reviewed by authorities.
While Ms. Ray engaged with the staff, her male accomplice is said to have concealed stolen bottles within his overcoat.
Christian Borel, whose family owns the restaurant, recounted how Ms. Ray misled him into moving away from certain areas by expressing unfamiliarity with American wines. This distraction allowed her accomplice to steal without being noticed for a brief period.
The duo allegedly employed decoy bottles to mask their theft and parked their getaway rental car with New Jersey plates at a distance to avoid detection.
Restaurant staff, assisted by a customer, managed to stop Ms. Ray before she could escape. However, her male counterpart remains unapprehended.
Two stolen bottles were found near the restaurant; however, several others are still missing, including prized selections from Domaine de la Romanee-Conti vineyard.
The recovered bottles also originated from this prestigious vineyard. The total value of the six missing bottles is estimated at around $41,500.
Ms. Ray faces two counts of grand larceny involving property valued over $1,000 and one count of defrauding a hotel or motel exceeding $1,000 according to court records from Clarke County General District Court. She is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
