Photo courtesy of Bella Solviva
Bella Solviva Inc. took deposits for this "glampground" but it never existed.
A Michigan company that advertised “an upscale camping experience,” also known as “glamping,” was convicted on two criminal charges on Monday after it never actually built the resort in Antrim County.
Bella Solviva Inc. pleaded no contest to one felony count of larceny by conversion between $1,000 and $20,000 and one misdemeanor count of larceny by conversion between $200 and $1,000. A no contest plea is not the same as a guilty one but is treated as such for sentencing purposes.
The company could be ordered to pay fines, court costs, and restitution at its sentencing on Dec. 13. But since Bella Solviva is a company, it cannot face jail time.
The company’s owners, Bradley Carlson and his wife Sandra Carlson, were sentenced last month to two years of probation and ordered to pay restitution.
Between 2015 and 2017, the couple took deposits for the “glampground,” calling it “a comfy camping eco-resort, created for the outdoor adventure enthusiast who has an appetite for indulgence.”
More than 30 couples paid a deposit but were never refunded, according to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
“The victims in the case were lied to and taken advantage of, and my office will not stand for businesses that defraud their customers and steal their money,” Nessel said. “Consumers must be able to trust their hard-earned money will be used as intended.”
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