Felony charges for Nebo businessman

Cops: Builder's bounced check bad business

By Richelle Bailey | The McDowell News

Published: June 9, 2009

A Nebo businessman has been charged with failing to reimburse one of his vendors, but he says it's all over a returned check and the matter will be resolved this week.
Capt. Vic Hollifield of the McDowell County Sheriff's Office charged Larry William Birchfield, 51, of Muddy Creek Road with one felony count of obtaining property by false pretense.
Birchfield owns Birchfield Log Home Corp. in Nebo.
Hollifield stated that Terry Lynn Bond, who operates C&B Lumber of Fries, Va., reported that his company delivered a $5,000 load of building lumber to Birchfield's business earlier this year. The check Birchfield gave C&B was sent through the bank twice and bounced both times, according to Hollifield.
On Feb. 23, Bond began calling Birchfield twice a day in an attempt to get reimbursement, but Birchfield never responded, said the captain.
In a telephone interview Tuesday, Birchfield said he has suffered financial difficulties lately because the state Department of Revenue took thousand of dollars from his bank account for taxes that he owed.
He stated that he didn't have the money to pay C&B until now.
Birchfield added that his first court appearance is today, at which time his attorney will ask for a continuance. The local businessman said he plans to pay the victim this week.