Illegal winery was operating in Alabama town’s wastewater treatment plant, cops say

A long-running illegal winery was busted this week in northeast Alabama, operating in plain sight at Rainsville Waste Water Treatment Plant, according to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators said a tip led them to the operation around 3 p.m Thursday, where deputies discovered “a large amount of illegal alcohol,” a news release said.

Allen Maurice Stiefel, 62, was arrested and charged with one misdemeanor count of “unlawful possession of an illegally manufactured alcoholic beverage,” and a Class B felony charge of “use of official position for personal gain,” officials said Friday. The town is about 170 miles northeast of Montgomery.

“This is definitely one of the biggest operations we’ve seen in our county and possibly our state,” DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden said in a release. “It doesn’t matter who you are, no one is above the law. We won’t tolerate anyone using their position to hide their illegal actions at the taxpayer’s expense.”

Photos shared by the department showed a collection of bottles and buckets were found in one of the plant’s city-owned buildings, along with supplies needed to manufacture wine.

“After agents and investigators arrived at the waste water treatment plant ... (Rainsville’s) Mayor Roger Lingerfelt was contacted and advised of the complaint. Mayor Lingerfelt then arrived on scene to allow agents and investigators to proceed in a search of the building,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Investigators located a large amount of illegal alcohol, and a winery which appeared to be in operation for a long period of time.”

News of the unusual setting prompted hundreds of reactions on the sheriff’s office Facebook page, including jokes about turning wastewater into wine.

“No wonder the water taste funny,” Michael Scott posted.

“They probably called the wine ‘Stink, Stank, Stunk’,” Tammy Nickens wrote.

“Good grief, which end of the plant where they getting their water from?” Raymond Junior Hopkins asked.

The investigation is ongoing and charges are expected, according to the release.

This story was originally published December 18, 2020 at 9:42 AM with the headline "Illegal winery was operating in Alabama town’s wastewater treatment plant, cops say."