Who is Carlo Trinchero? Napa Valley wine magnate arrested on suspicion of owning firearms, drugs
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Napa Valley wine mogul Carlo Trinchero, 35, faces potential felony firearm charges and one misdemeanor drug offense charge after he was arrested on Friday, November 11. Trinchero, whose family is worth $1.9B and owns the Trinchero Family Estates, was apprehended after police received an anonymous tip that he was in possession of guns despite being a convicted felon.
Napa County Sheriff’s Department seized a small amount of methamphetamine from his car during a traffic stop and later, he told them where the firearms were located. Authorities found 11 guns at his residence. He had been barred from possessing firearms since 2017, when he was convicted of assaulting his girlfriend, now ex-wife. Among the firearms seized was an AR-15 rifle with assault weapon features, including a pistol grip and collapsible stock, reported Daily Mail. Possession of an assault weapon is illegal in California.
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Trinchero was booked on suspicion of being a convicted felon in possession of a gun, being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition, unlawfully possessing an assault weapon banned in California and drug possession. He was released the same day on a $50,000 bond. Trinchero, who oversees the high-end labels of his family’s empire, was stopped at Monticello Road. Deputies obtained a search warrant for two of his properties where they also found several magazines and ammunition.
In 2017, Trinchero was convicted of assaulting his girlfriend, Stephanie, and an EMT who had arrived on the scene to assist her. It was reported that he threw his girlfriend into a closet and she struck her head on a shelf, which knocked her out. When an EMT arrived, Trinchero allegedly pushed him to the ground and punched him, according to court documents obtained by the Daily Mail. He pled not guilty to domestic violence charges and was sentenced to 180 days in jail and three years of probation.
Later that year, he married Stephanie and they had two daughters. However, they filed for divorce in June and Stephanie got a restraining order against him. Since Trinchero's arrest, Stephanie has requested the court renew an earlier protective order that expired in October. She also alleged that he kept methamphetamine and guns under the same roof as their daughters, who are three and two years of age. Trinchero has not been formally charged yet and is scheduled to return to Napa County Superior Court on January 20, 2023.