Overview
The favorable non-prosecution agreement Steptoe secured for White Rock Distilleries was covered in a July 27 Law360 article titled “Vendors Ink $9M Deal Over Gifts to Pa. Liquor Officials.”
Steptoe represented White Rock Distilleries in an investigation by the US Attorney’s office in the Middle District of Pennsylvania regarding allegations that White Rock employees and agents bribed Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board officials in exchange for favorable decisions to list the company’s products for sale in state liquor stores. Even though the government had secured the cooperation of a liquor control board official who pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe, Steptoe convinced the government to enter into a non-prosecution agreement with White Rock. The non-prosecution agreement included very favorable terms, including an agreement not to prosecute any current or former company employees and an acknowledgement that the company did not admit that its conduct violated any criminal laws. The company also avoided a monitor or any disgorgement of profits, and paid a $2 million monetary penalty far below the potentially applicable Sentencing Guidelines fine.
The Steptoe team was led by white-collar criminal defense partner Brian Heberlig, with of counsel Bruce Bishop, Shawn Davisson and David Fragale, and associate Nicholas Silverman.
The full article can be read at Law360 (subscription required).
