BBQ food cart chef faces prison term for $3 million theft
PORTLAND – A Portland food cart proprietor is facing more than three years in prison for actions taken before he reinvented himself as an acclaimed barbecue chef.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reported that 44-year-old David Bottinelli has admitted to stealing $3 million from his poor and disabled clients when he worked in health benefits administration.
Bottinelli has since opened Botto Barbecue, which quickly became one of Portland’s most beloved locations for Texas-style brisket and ribs.
His attorney, Thomas Price, argued in court Wednesday that income generated by the food cart is the only way Bottinelli can repay his victims. He asked for a probation sentence.
U.S. District Court Judge Robert Jones instead gave Bottinelli 46 months behind bars, saying, “you don’t steal $3 million and not go to prison.”