A British mother faces up to 50 years in an American prison after being accused of masterminding an audacious wine theft worth approximately £30,000 from a prestigious Virginia restaurant.
The Elaborate Sting Operation
Natali Ray, a 56-year-old from Herne Bay in Kent, allegedly posed as 'Stephanie Baker', personal assistant to a wealthy Canadian businesswoman, to gain access to the exclusive wine cellar at Domaine de la Romanée-Conti estate in Boyce, Virginia earlier this month.
According to court documents and witness statements, Ray reportedly visited the L'Auberge Provencale restaurant wearing a wig, wool coat and red silk scarf, claiming she needed to inspect the venue for a potential 25-person dinner event. She specifically asked to see the temperature-controlled wine cellar, a request that raised no suspicions at the time.
The Distraction Technique
Receptionist Mr Borel, who escorted the pair through three dining rooms before reaching the cellar, told the Daily Mail: "With the power of suggestion she got me to move around the cellar where certain countries were kept, doing so allowed the other man to be out of sight, just long enough to line his pockets with lots of wine."
While Ray distracted the staff member with questions about American wines, her male accomplice - disguised with a grey wig and thick glasses - allegedly slipped six bottles of premium wine into specially adapted pockets within his long overcoat. Police believe the theft was meticulously planned, as the suspects replaced the stolen bottles with cheap substitutes.
The Dramatic Chase and Aftermath
The scheme began to unravel when the man apparently struggled to climb the stairs, which Mr Borel now believes was due to the weight of the concealed bottles. Staff became suspicious and attempted to detain the pair.
In a dramatic turn of events, restaurant workers gave chase as the male suspect escaped in an SUV. A regular customer, Ryan Dotson, joined the pursuit in his $200,000 Porsche Panamera alongside another waiter, but their efforts were thwarted when another vehicle collided with them during the chase.
Following the incident, workers discovered two of the stolen bottles - a 2019 Échézeaux and a 2021 Grands Échézeaux - abandoned on the estate grounds. However, the remaining six bottles, valued collectively at around £31,500, remain missing.
Legal Consequences and Investigation
Ray currently faces multiple charges including grand larceny, conspiracy to commit grand larceny and defrauding an innkeeper. She is being held at the Northwestern Regional Adult Detention Center awaiting her court appearance on December 3.
Clarke County Sheriff Travis Sumption described the alleged crime as "orchestrated and planned", though he declined to provide further commentary on the ongoing investigation. Authorities have alerted nearby auction houses in case the suspects attempt to sell the stolen wine, though police suspect the bottles may already be unrecoverable.
In a surprising claim, Ray reportedly told Mr Borel that she had been forced to participate in the heist under duress, alleging she was abducted by her male accomplice. This assertion forms part of the continuing investigation as American authorities prepare their case against the British mother-of-three.
