LaCroix Founder Sued for Allegedly Groping 2 Pilots: Report

(Bloomberg) — Nick Caporella, the billionaire founder of the company that makes LaCroix sparking water, was sued by two pilots who accused him of inappropriately touching them while flying in the cockpit of his business plane, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The allegations were included in lawsuits filed in Florida by the male pilots in the past two years, according to the story published on Tuesday. Caporella, 82, is a pilot who flies a corporate jet. National Beverage didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment late Tuesday.

A lawyer for Caporella, who is also the company’s chairman, told the Journal that the allegations in the lawsuits were false and “scurrilous.” The article said that one of the lawsuits was settled, while one remains pending.

National Beverage’s shares, which closed 2013 at about $20, have surged above $100 largely on the strength of LaCroix sales, giving the company a market value of more than $5 billion.

National Beverage’s shares took a hit last week when the Securities and Exchange Commission asked the company to explain data that had been included in press releases, according to the Journal.