Prosecutors, court actions and the Atrio wine heist saga
A dramatic case unfolds around a theft that dragged a famed Cáceres restaurant into the spotlight. Forty-five bottles, valued at roughly 1.65 million euros, disappeared from the Atrio de Cáceres cellar and resurfaced only in pieces as investigators traced the trail through several countries. The incident, which occurred in the early hours of October 27, 2022, has become one of the most publicized crimes in the history of Cáceres and continues to influence court proceedings today.
Judge Aida Maria de la Cruz de la Torre ordered an oral hearing in the proceedings against two defendants as the case progressed. The move marks a significant procedural step, moving away from earlier phases toward a more formal courtroom setting. The judge also kept in place an injunction against the two accused, noting that the circumstances surrounding the case had not changed since the last filing by the defense. Once the defense files are complete, the criminal case will be sent to the Cáceres State Court where the investigation phase will be closed.
The defendants, Constantine Dumitru, 48, and Priscilla Lara Guevara, 29, were detained in Croatia and are charged with stealing the 45 high-value bottles from the Atrio restaurant’s cellar, with at least one additional bottle still unrecovered. The scale of the theft and the prestige of the wines involved have kept this case under intense public scrutiny.
Among the stolen items, 38 bottles were Romanée Conti, each fetching around 12,000 euros in the restaurant’s pricing. A Montrachet Grand Cru 1999 Magnum carried an estimated value of 25,500 euros, and a Chateau d’Yquem from 1806 was appraised at 310,000 euros, highlighting the considerable loss faced by Atrio’s management, Toño Pérez and José Polo.
Defendant statements provided to a local newspaper describe a defense strategy centered on accessing the full telematics file to prepare a defense thoroughly and present it to the court. The defense team plans to request an acquittal and to challenge the evidence as the matter moves through the State Court and into the appropriate trial chamber.
Prosecutor’s request
The public ministry has requested four and a half years of prison for each defendant and a total claim of 1.6 million euros, according to the indictment filed last November. The document alleges that the couple, by mutual agreement for financial gain, stayed at the restaurant’s hotel on October 26, entered the winery, and aimed to secure high-value wines, including a bottle of Chateau d’Yquem with an estimated value of 350,000 euros.
After dinner at Atrio, the couple reportedly took a guided tour of the winery and returned to their room around 12:20 a.m. on October 27. Approximately two hours later, at 2:10 a.m., a hotel reception call was placed regarding a salad and its preparation time. The staff indicated that the couple was alone and that a salad would take about ten minutes to prepare.
The defendants allegedly used the moment at reception to obtain an electronic key and slipped into the pantry. When the correct master key did not work, they placed another call for a dessert order, then accessed the winery, entered the tasting room, and seized the 45 bottles. The couple departed from the hotel around 6:00 a.m. the same day.
The investigation later traced the suspects’ movements through several jurisdictions. Croatian authorities detained the two suspects in July 2022 after coordinated efforts by national police, Europol, and Interpol, with help from the Croatian Border Police. Investigators determined that one of the suspects had used a forged passport to sleep at the restaurant hotel and dine with an accomplice that night.
There is ongoing speculation about the possible international dimensions of the case. Some investigative channels have suggested that the ringleaders or major players could be connected to operatives from Russia or individuals of Russian origin. A portion of the recovered and unrecovered wine is believed to have crossed borders and to have been circulated through networks beyond Spain. This aspect of the case continues to be examined by authorities and reported by the press, with sources providing ongoing updates about the status of the investigation.
Marked updates and ongoing coverage from Prensa Ibérica note that the case remains under active examination, with new developments anticipated as prosecutors, defense counsels, and the court proceed through the scheduled hearings. The long arc of this incident—spanning multiple countries and high-value assets—illustrates how a single nightclub-style audacity morphed into a procedural marathon within Spain’s judicial system. The story remains a focal point for discussions about security, luxury hospitality, and the international cooperation required to pursue thefts of such magnitude.