State Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has charged Abimael Gutierrez, 45, of Caledonia with two counts of felony fraud. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in jail and/or up to $25,000 in fines.
According to a statement from Van Hollen’s office, Gutierrez received a Forward Innovation Fund loan from the Department of Commerce to help with the purchase of a $28,000 crane. Gutierrez never actually purchased the crane, but he did buy a number of other items, the state alleges.
“These items were then transferred by Gutierrez without paying off the loan to the State,” Van Hollen said in the statement.
The defendant believes the case is a misunderstanding, according to a story in The Journal Times.
In addition to the $28,000 original loan, Gutierrez is also responsible for another $54,870 in interest, the story reads.
Online court records do not indicate when Gutierrez will be court, only that the complaint and a summons were filed Jan. 30.