Pinnacle Vodka paid man who said bottle injured him, but it was fraud, officials say

Nashville resident Trystan Dakota Billy King, 25, is charged with felony insurance fraud and first-degree forgery, according to a news release from the Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire.

King filed a claim against Beam Suntory Inc., the maker of Pinnacle Vodka, in March 2020, according to Cherokee Tribune & Ledger News.

King said that he cut his wrist and thumb while trying to open a Pinnacle vodka bottle, according to the commissioner’s office. He claimed the injury was bad enough that he needed surgery, the release said.

King sent forged documents that appeared to be from a hospital in Georgia to Beam Suntory, investigators said.

The Georgia hospital, Floyd Medical Center, had no record of ever treating King, the Cherokee Tribune said.

Eventually, King received money for his “fraudulent claims,” according to the release. Once investigators realized King received money, officials took out warrants for his arrest in Cherokee County, the release said.

McClatchy News reached out to Beam Suntory Inc. for comment and is awaiting a response.

King has not been taken into custody yet on the charges, according to the commissioner’s office.

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