A man from the United Kingdom was arraigned Friday in Brooklyn federal court after being charged with running a $99 million money laundering scheme through a faux wine company.

James Wellesley, 56, was arraigned after his extradition from the U.K., where he and co-defendant Stephen Burton, 58, were arrested in 2022.

The two are charged with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy in an alleged scheme perpetrated through Bordeaux Cellars, a company Wellesley and Burton operated.

A pair of British men are accused of scamming investors out of nearly $100 million in an alleged wine fraud scheme. (iStock)

Ricky Patel, HSI New York special agent in charge, accused the duo of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from collectors.

“James Wellesley and his coconspirator are accused of masterminding their nearly $100 million international fraud scheme that exploited the unsuspecting public, including New Yorkers, for their own selfish enrichment,” Patel said. 

“As alleged, the defendants claimed Bordeaux Cellars boasted a high-value wine stockpile and a clientele of ‘high-net-worth wine collectors’ and, in turn, profited handsomely, all while they swindled investors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more.”

Burton was extradited from Morocco in 2023 and is awaiting trial. Wellesley was ordered detained pending trial. 

If convicted, the pair face up to 20 years in prison.