Feb. 15, 2013 - Cops save hops: Beer bandit in jail after thousands in rare brews stolen

Friday, February 15, 2013
Contact: Kim Kobel, Boulder Police, 303-441-3370

Cops save hops: Beer bandit in jail after thousands in rare brews stolen

 Thousands of dollars worth of rare and vintage beers were reported stolen from Avery Brewing Company and Boulder police, with the assistance of the Fort Collins Police Department, have arrested a former brewery employee they believe is responsible.

Avery Brewing Company is located at 5757 Arapahoe Road in Boulder. The thefts were first reported in mid-October of 2012 and police have been investigating since that time.

Police arrested 26-year-old Adam James Dickinson at his workplace in Fort Collins on Feb. 14, 2013, on suspicion of Felony Theft. A manager at Avery Brewing suspected that Dickinson was responsible for the thefts of the rare beers, which totaled more than $15,000.00.

Some of the bottled beer was worth $200-to-$300 per bottle. More than 570 bottles were recovered during a search warrant executed at the suspect’s home in Fort Collins, and included several cases of Isabelle Proximus beer ($200/bottle); bottles of Duck Duck Gooze beer ($100/bottle); bottles of Rogue Old Crustacean beer ($100/bottle) and one bottle of 2001 Rogue Old Crustacean Barley Wine ($100/bottle). Other beers recovered separately as evidence had been given to Dickinson’s new employer as a gift, and included very rare bottles of Black Tot Barrel-Aged Imperial Oatmeal Stout ($300/bottle) and Sui Generis Barrel-Aged Sour Ale ($300/bottle). (Values are approximate).

Dickinson had been employed by Avery Brewing from March 2012 until October 2012, when he was terminated.

The police investigation was led by Officer Bryan Parch, who found that Dickinson had sold some of the stolen beer on eBay and had also offered some stolen bottles to a new employer, who cooperated with the investigation. Dickinson is being held at the Larimer County Detention Center. Bail has been set at $5,000.00.

The case number is 12-13887.

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Last Updated on Wednesday, 20 February 2013 12:35