A former soap opera star actor from popular shows such as ‘One Life To Live’ and ‘All My Children’ has been charged with an alleged theft of cooking oil in the Hudson Valley.
Forbes March, 49, was arrested along with another man on Thursday March 2 following a complaint from Michael’s Diner in Ulster County for theft of used cooking oil.
Ulster Police Chief Kyle Berardi said members of the department attended the dinner, at 1071 Ulster Ave. in the city of Ulster, for a report that two men were siphoning used cooking oil from a container at the back of the restaurant.
When officers arrived, they found March, along with Oscar Guardado, 30, of Liberty, siphoning oil from a storage container belonging to Buffalo Biodiesel, Berardi said.
March is a resident of Sullivan County Village in Jeffersonville.
He added that the value of the stolen used cooking oil was estimated to be over $1,000.
Both men were charged with grand larceny and released. They are due in court on Tuesday, March 28.
After leaving “As the World Turns,” March quit acting and started a new business, the New York Firewood Company in Jeffersonville, according to the company’s website.
The company supplies wood for restaurants and private residences in New York.
March’s attorney, Jared Hart of Kauneonga Lake, said in a statement that the collection of oil from the biodiesel container was a mix-up.
“In early February, Forbes purchased an existing waste oil collection lane through a known business referral service to complement another of Forbes’ existing businesses that also provides goods and services to restaurants,” Hart said.
Forbes’ existing business had the infrastructure to enter the biodiesel collection market. Michael’s Diner was on this purchased route.”
Hart explained that part of the collection process involves placing specific containers at restaurants for the oil to be stored and then collected. Containers had been present at Michael’s Diner for months before Forbes took over the road.
“The manager of Michael’s Diner has confirmed that his restaurant is in fact a customer of the company,” Hart said.
“When Forbes first visited the scene, several containers were present, which Forbes was led to believe were all of its containers. The containers were poorly marked and apparently abandoned, but oil was in them. The owner confirmed to Forbes that day that the oil was there for him to retrieve. All containers present, except one, were properly stored for Forbes to collect. recover,” Hart said.
He went on to explain that “Although it is not obvious to Forbes that day due to poor marking, one of the containers would have in fact belonged to Buffalo Biodiesel”.
Hart said there was never any intent to steal or permanently deprive another company of their alleged cooking oil.
“The oil was offered to be pumped immediately and is in fact currently being held by law enforcement,” he said.
The market value of the alleged oil removed from the Buffalo Biodiesel container is at most $300, Hart added.
The lawyer said the facts are “grossly exaggerated” and the whole matter is a simple civil case fabricated to look criminal.
“We are disappointed that Forbes’ efforts as a child, refugee, and arts volunteer, as a first responder, and more, will forever be overshadowed by these frivolous accusations,” Hart wrote.
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