TOWN OF LaGRANGE , NY — According to a press release from New York State Police, “On October 23, 2013 at approximately 12:00 p.m., state police from the LaGrange satellite station arrested Charles Petersheim, 43, of Eldred, New York, for aggravated harassment 2nd, a misdemeanor. On October 1, the state police were dispatched to investigate an Aggravated Harassment complaint. The complainant reported that a former employee continues to call and text him, with no legitimate purpose other than to annoy him.”

Petersheim, a prominent local builder, issued an account of the incident on his blog (blog.thecatskillfarms.com), and said a former employee, Jeff Meola of Callicoon, took “our leads, our job book, our leads, our computer,” and teamed up with Geothermal Energy Options regarding some spray foam work that would have otherwise gone to Petersheim’s company.

He admitted to calling and texting Chris Ryan of with Geothermal Energy Options, but added, “Annoying people with non-threatening non-harassing phone calls or texts to get their attention in order to get something owed done is what makes the world go round. That’s how it works.”

He wrote he can’t wait for a trial, “and have these men defend why they used the courts and the police to avoid a business issue.”