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Former PLCB exec charged with taking kickbacks

A former executive at the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has been charged with a “scheme to defraud the state” and stands accused of taking kickbacks from suppliers.

James H. Short Jr. allegedly accepted kickbacks from vendors including cash and lavish golfing trips

James H. Short Jr., former director of marketing and merchandising at PLCB, has agreed to plead guilty to the federal charges of fraud filed with the United States District Court.

Short has been charged with a “scheme to defraud the state, its citizens and the PA-LCB of their right to his honest services”.

Prosecutors have argued Short received cash, all-expanses-paid golf trips, lavish meals and other benefits from one distributor and one manufacturer of alcoholic brands sold across PLCB’s 600 state-run stores between 2002 and 2012, reports Fox 24.

The State Ethics Commission outlined Short’s dealings in January this year, claiming he collected more than US$13,000 in “benefits” from vendors.

As director of marketing and merchandising at PLCB, Short oversaw the selection of alcoholic beverages for sale in the organisation’s stores.

“The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board made sweeping changes to its employee code of conduct and created a vendor code of conduct to prevent actions like this from happening again,” a spokesperson for the PLCB said in a statement.

“Annually, every PLCB employee is required to read, understand and acknowledge a code of conduct that is among the most restrictive in Pennsylvania government.

“We have also conducted online training to ensure employees understand what is expected of them. In addition, every vendor is required to sign an acknowledgement that they understand appropriate interactions with employees.

“The charge, while based on conduct that occurred several years ago, reinforces our commitment to operating with transparency and openness.”

The PLCB is one of the world’s largest buyers of alcohol and has annual revenue turnover of US$2 billion.

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