Joint ATF/RCMP Investigation
By Tami Light (202) 927-3580

Jeffrey James Petkovich, the leader of an international alcohol smuggling operation, was sentenced to four years in a Canadian Federal prison on Friday, January 5, 2001. Mr. Petkovich was responsible for smuggling over 14,000 cases of non-taxpaid distilled spirits into Canada from the U.S. ATF assisted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in tracing the spirits from a distillery in Baltimore, Maryland, to the Bahamas, back into the U.S, from Florida to California to Buffalo, New York and over the border into Canada. Mr. Petkovich admitted to making a profit of over $1.3 million.

Offer-in-Compromise
By Jeannette Compton (202) 927-8130

On November 14, 2000, the Director, Industry Operations, San Francisco Field Division, accepted an Offer-in-Compromise of $15,000 from Central Coast Wine Company, dba The Henry Wine Group, Benicia, California. Central Coast Wine Company was found to be importing and removing from U. S. Customs custody various brands of Italian wine and distilled spirits without an approved Certificate of Label Approval ("COLA"). One brand of Italian wine was imported and removed from U. S. Customs custody without the mandatory Government Warning Statement on the label.

Proposed Revision of the COLA Form
By Wanda Williams-Burgraff (202) 927-8140

The COLA form, "Application for Certification/Exemption of Label/Bottle Approval," ATF F 5100.31 is being revised.

We are proposing only minor revisions to the front of the COLA form. The wording of items 7, 16 and 17 is slightly modified for clarification purposes.

Our draft of the back of the COLA form, however, differs dramatically from the current COLA form. The instructions for completing the form and conditions of approval are restructured. The conditions under which approved labels may be modified without submission of a new COLA application are outlined in chart form. The single-most significant proposed revision is the allowance to add, delete or change any nonmandatory label information without submission of a new COLA application.

Notice of our proposed revision was published in the Federal Register on January 22, 2001. To request copies of the notice and draft revised form, contact the Alcohol Labeling and Formulation Division (ALFD) Customer Service Desk at (202) 927-8140 or toll free at 1-866-927-2533. If you would like to comment on the form, please address your comments in writing to Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Attention: Linda Barnes, 650 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20226. It is our intention to take into account all comments before we make final decisions on the new form. Written comments must be received before March 23, 2001, to assure consideration.