BARRE, Vt. (AP) - A Vermont man accused of failing to pay five hemp farmers tens of thousands of dollars for their crops pleaded not guilty Thursday to related charges.
Douglas Bell, owner of CBD-Vermont in Waterbury, had contracted with the farms to grow hemp on their land in return for payment, which they have not received, police said. The farmers are owed a total of about $137,500, police said.
Bell was arrested on Wednesday in Middlesex, Vermont. He pleaded not guilty to two counts of false pretense and two counts of bad checks. He was ordered held on $100,000 bail.
Judge Mary Morrissey said she did not see enough evidence to support the theft of services charges filed by the state. Based on the affidavits she said she didn’t see anything that supported a criminal intent to defraud by Bell at the time the agreement was made.
Washington County State’s Attorney Rory Thibeault disagreed, saying as early as August it seemed that Bell was aware of financial difficulties.
I think the intent element can be met by his deception in continuing in a contract which did not allow for any of these individuals to seek an alternate market, to seek to terminate on their own or to seize providing that service,” he said.
State police said they are working with other police agencies to investigate at least 10 other cases in which the loss to farmers is estimated at nearly $500,000.
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