A Rhode Island man was found guilty of stealing 10 cases of tequila from his employer in 2021, Attorney General Peter Neronha said Wednesday.
Brenden Phang, 25, was found guilty of one count of larceny greater than $1,500 and less than $5,000, according to Neronha.
He was released on bail pending a sentencing hearing in May.
Phang, of Woonsocket, stole cases of Don Julio tequila that was worth almost $3,000 from Centrex Distributors in West Greenwich on July 21, 2021, Neronha said.
That night, a Centrex worker sat in his car near a loading door of the distribution center and saw two men drive an SUV into the loading area, according to the attorney general.
Phang was seen exiting the vehicle and quickly loading the cases of tequila into the hatch of the truck, Neronha said.
The employee approached the SUV and saw several cases of tequila already in the hatch, Neronha said. He then started yelling at the two men to stop.
Phang then pushed the employee against a parked trailer before leaving the scene in a forklift as the driver of the SUV took off, according to Neronha.
The Woonsocket man was later arrested after his boss called police to report the incident, Neronha said.
