Winery lost thousands after man made fake Mother’s Day reservations, NY cops say

A winery lost thousands of dollars on Mother’s Day after a disgruntled man made several fake online reservations, New York state police say.

The man used anonymous aliases to reserve a number of spots at Tug Hill Estate, formerly known as Tug Hill Vineyards, that remained empty on Sunday, May 8, in Lowville, according to a Sept. 20 news release.

Now David R. Nisley Jr., 33, of Lowville faces a first-degree identity theft charge after the winery lost about $13,000 on Mother’s Day, police say.

Ultimately, Nisley Jr. “admitted” to making the fake reservations “because he was upset with his friend’s former employer,” according to state authorities.

Police say Nisley Jr. expressed he was sorry for what he had done, and acknowledged it “was not a harmless prank.”

Information about Nisley Jr.’s legal representation was not immediately available.

The man was arraigned in court where police say he was released on his own recognizance.

The Tug Hill Estate is a venue that also includes a distillery and event center. It is known for its Sunday brunch and wine events.

Lowville, located in upstate New York, is about 145 miles northwest of Albany.

This story was originally published September 21, 2022 at 11:21 AM with the headline "Winery lost thousands after man made fake Mother’s Day reservations, NY cops say."

Julia Marnin

McClatchy DC

Julia Marnin covers courts for McClatchy News, writing about criminal and civil affairs, including cases involving policing, corrections, civil liberties, fraud, and abuses of power. As a reporter on McClatchy’s National Real-Time Team, she’s also covered the COVID-19 pandemic and a variety of other topics since joining in 2021, following a fellowship with Newsweek. Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, she was raised in South Jersey and is now based in New York State.