Man who pleaded guilty to hay scam is facing new fraud-related charges

A man accused of defrauding dozens of folks about the region in small business deals that contain hay and maple syrup was meant to take care of his felony cases up coming week. But that’s no lengthier happening soon after new allegations surfaced, indicating he’d taken near to $100,000 from two New York ladies in violation of court docket orders.

Richard Blackmer Jr., 41, was set to be sentenced in point out court Thursday for 4 offenses, such as a 2019 felony cost of fake pretenses in opposition to a Massachusetts woman. He’d before admitted failing to supply 120 bales of hay to this customer irrespective of getting paid $1,140 although he was in Bennington County.

The Bennington County State’s Attorney’s Office mentioned it supposed to seek up to 10 several years in prison, primarily based on prosecutors’ plea offer with Blackmer, which advisable dismissing his 70-moreover other prices.

Before his sentencing could get position, nonetheless, Blackmer was again in Bennington Outstanding Prison Courtroom on Dec. 19 to plead not guilty to a new cost: violating situations of release.

Considering that he was arrested in April 2020, the court docket has allowed Blackmer to be free of charge from jail on the affliction he stick to specified orders. Among the them is that he should really not have interaction in any deal that consists of much more than $500, unless of course he has court docket acceptance.

But Blackmer, who has considering the fact that moved from Shaftsbury to White Creek, New York, allegedly didn’t comply.

In accordance to Vermont Point out Law enforcement, concerning March 2021 and July 2022, he experienced taken a blended $93,800 from two New York ladies in trade for delivering them with hay, residence and farm tools, and property fix get the job done.

A law enforcement assertion of probable lead to for the misdemeanor charge, ready by Trooper Nicholas Grimes, states that Blackmer’s make contact with with the women of all ages started when he fulfilled Edith Wojnarowski, now 76, at a New York farm and backyard garden retail outlet where he was doing work. Wojnarowski’s partner had been ill then, and Blackmer reportedly supplied to do house repairs her partner was not able to do.

Grimes explained that over a period of 16 months, Wojnarowski and her daughter, Deborah Marshall, compensated Blackmer to supply them with merchandise these kinds of as hay, spherical bale holders, a new deck, a lawn mower and bags of salt. The gals apparently noted that Blackmer hardly ever delivered these products – other than for the hay, which continue to arrived out $10,000 quick.

The investigator stated the women — who experienced equally missing their husbands and lived with each other — also gave him money to do work around their household, together with portray, installing flooring, electrical get the job done, setting up closet doorways and placing up the deck. Blackmer allegedly both didn’t do the agreed-on work opportunities, did substandard operate or employed subcontractors to do some of the tasks.

As police documented in his more mature legal prices, Blackmer reportedly also delivered the girls a litany of excuses on why he could not produce the goods or solutions. A new excuse he gave, in accordance to the police affidavit, was that “E.T. came to earth and he experienced a dialogue with him,” referring to the extraterrestrial title character in the 1982 Steven Spielberg film.

Other complainants formerly claimed Blackmer’s excuses encompassed troubles with his truck, his staff members, the climate, the lender, the publish business office, baby care, his grandfather’s loss of life, his father’s health, his son’s well being or his well being — together with a single occasion in which Blackmer produced it seem he had open up coronary heart operation, went into a coma and died.

Soon after Wojnarowski and her daughter threatened to go to the police, the law enforcement affidavit states he’d been seeking to pay them again and “be great to them” by sending them flowers and making an attempt to give them two horses.

At Blackmer’s arraignment on Dec. 19, Choose Kerry Ann McDonald-Cady allowed him to stay totally free on his own recognizance, a penned assure to appear in courtroom when demanded. His upcoming hearing in the scenario is on Feb. 24.

This is not the initial time Blackmer is charged with violating the court purchase against participating in contracts over and above $500. He has been accused of getting repairs worthy of $5,000 completed on his pickup truck in 2021, and not paying out the automobile mend store in entire. He had admitted to this misdemeanor as aspect of his plea deal. 

Blackmer’s protection attorney, Matthew Hart, could not be reached for remark on Thursday.

Blackmer’s sentencing listening to on the more mature felony circumstances has been moved to June 1.

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