A former wine buyer for a Southern California grocery chain demanded alcohol suppliers bribe him with vacations, gift cards and other valuable items before he considered selling or continuing to sell their products at hundreds of stores across the region, according to federal prosecutors.

Patrick Briones of Newport Beach was charged with conspiracy and commercial bribery after prosecutors accused him of demanding and accepting bribes from alcohol suppliers that for years impacted his decision to buy new products, continue to purchase others and save others that the grocery chain intended to discontinue, according to charging documents filed Sept. 23.

The bribes, which included a $2,290 designer bag, a luxury watch worth thousands of dollars, trips to Maui and Las Vegas and thousands of d

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