| May 8, 2025 For Immediate Release | Office of Congressional and Public Affairs 202-453-2180 |
Napa Valley Winery Owner Pleads Guilty to Aiding and Assisting in Filing of False Tax Return
FY—25-2
San Francisco – On Wednesday, May 7, 2025, Brian Fleury, 64, of Napa County, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false income tax return in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(2), which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
Fleury, who owned Napa Valley winery Metropolitan Wines, LLC and several vineyards located in Napa Valley together with his spouse, also admitted that he failed to pay federal excise tax that was due on brandy he received, possessed, and sold from 2007 through 2019. Fleury filed annual reports with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) that falsely stated that no wine had been removed for distilling material, no wine had been produced with the addition of wine spirits, no distilled spirits were on hand, and no spirits had been sold or received in bond.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Helen L. Gilbert is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kathy Tat. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by IRS-CI and TTB, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
A copy of the press release is available here on the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California website.