Bellingham business owner pleads not guilty to multiple felonies in King County
The owner of Schweinhaus Biergarten in Bellingham has pleaded not guilty to multiple felony charges related to the theft and trafficking of stolen alcohol at an Issaquah brewery he previously co-owned.
Brandon Robert Bates, 48, appeared in King County Superior Court via Zoom on Monday morning. His arraignment hearing lasted about five minutes.
Bates was charged in King County with first-degree theft, first-degree identity theft, first-degree possession of stolen property and first-degree trafficking of stolen property on June 29.
Court records obtained by The Bellingham Herald allege that Bates made “large purchases” of expensive alcohol using funds from Formula Brewing, a business that he co-owned. At the time of the purchases, which court documents say occurred between November 2022 and July 2023, the company was in receivership, and Bates was not allowed to access business funds without authorization.
Bates’ former business partner, who is now the sole owner of Formula Brewing, estimated that the business lost about $125,000 through Bates’ purchases.
Bates’ next court hearing is scheduled for Aug. 31. He remains out of custody on personal recognizance.