Worthless Checks Written to Area Tobacco Farmers

Source from:  thetomahawk.com By Angie Gambill 03/17/2008

According to reports from the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, checks written to Burley tobacco farmers in the area are being returned for insufficient funds. "We're talking about major money here," says Sheriff Mike Reece. "One farmer came by with a check for $27,000 that was no good. He wanted to know what he could do about it." Reece says anyone that has a check returned by the bank on Mountain City Burley Warehouse, Inc. must notify the company by certified letter. If they fail to respond and make the check good within ten days, then the sheriff's office can issue a warrant. President of Mountain City Burley Warehouse, Inc., Jesse Ray Faulkner, is a resident of Southern Pines, NC. Johnson County farmers are not alone in their plight, as Faulkner has reportedly written numerous checks for tobacco in other parts of Tennessee as well as North Carolina and Virginia. Enditem