As the city attempts to reopen negotiations on sharing a meeting room, records obtained by Berkeleyside and conversations with both sides shed light on why past efforts failed.
"Let’s put forward our best proposal," said Mayor Jesse Arreguín. "If they accept it, great. If not, we’ll build this facility."
Berkeley is poised to buy the old Premier Cru complex on University and may use it for new City Council chambers and, eventually, affordable housing.
John Fox, a lanky 66-year-old with fading red hair, used to meet scantily-dressed 20-year-olds at least two or three times a week at Artís Coffee on Berkeley's Fourth Street.
For his combined crimes, John Fox probably faces a maximum of six and a half years in prison and is on the hook to pay $45 million in restitution.
John E. Fox could face as much as 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for defrauding his clients over a period of six years.
The owner of Premier Cru purchased much of his fine wine on the gray market.
The bankruptcy trustee liquidating the wine store Premier Cru has reached a settlement to pay disgruntled customers pennies on the dollar for the wine they purchased but never received.
An analysis of the books of the Berkeley wine retailer shows that it collected $45M in wine orders but had no bottles associated with those orders in its warehouse.
The Berkeley wine company John Fox co-founded with Hector Ortega is in the middle of bankruptcy proceedings.
John Fox, the embattled co-owner of Premier Cru, faced some of his long-time customers at a creditors' hearing in Oakland.
For 35 years, Premier Cru, a retail store on University Avenue, was a place to which wine lovers turned to find Bordeaux and Burgundy at a discount. Advertising its wares as 10% to 15% lower than other high-end wine stores, Premier Cru drew customers from around the globe
The FBI is investigating claims of a Ponzi scheme involving the Berkeley wine company Premier Cru.
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