B.G. man pleads guilty to scamming women

Winston Farber, 35, right, pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court on Wednesday to stealing $25,000 from two Clark County women who gave him the money to start a pellet business. At left is Farber’s attorney, David Kurtz. (Zachary Kaufman/The Columbian)

The Winston Farber who convinced two women to lend him $12,500 apiece was a bright and energetic salesman, with a detailed vision for what the women believed could be a successful business: animal bedding filled with sawdust pellets.

Yes, you know where this story is going. It was a scam.

The Farber who appeared in court Wednesday was subdued, and said he was sorry.

Farber, 35, of Battle Ground, pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree theft for taking a total of $25,000.

Instead of fulfilling his promise to the women — that he would combine their money with his own $35,000 and buy a pellet machine to start their business — he used their money to pay off his debt.

This time, it was one of his victims, Alana Walls of Brush Prairie, who did most of the talking.

Addressing Superior Court Judge Robert Harris, Walls said when she and her good friend, Judy Russell, learned last month that Farber never bought a pellet machine and the entire partnership contract they'd drawn up had been based on lies, she was dumbfounded.

Since then, she's thought of new words to describe her feelings: devastated, traumatized and humiliated.

"I was betrayed by a person I thought was a trusted friend," said Walls, 64, who operates Skyland Stables and had been buying hay and sawdust from Farber for nine years.

When he mentioned the animal bedding idea last year, she shared it with Russell, 55.

Walls got the money from her line of credit; Russell got the money out of her home-equity loan.

Both will have to repay their banks, with interest.

"You knew I could not afford to take reckless chances with my money," Walls told Farber.

Walls said after they drew up a contract, Russell's brother designed a logo for "Farmer's Choice" animal bedding and they began taking orders. Farber kept stalling, but told them he'd been trained on using and servicing a pellet machine and had gone ahead and bought one. Just before his May 14 arrest, he told the women his ex-wife was gravely ill and he was with her in the hospital, where he could not use his cell phone.

On May 14, Walls and Russell went to his ex-wife's home, where Farber had been living. His perfectly healthy ex-wife told them she had never heard of the business idea and that Farber never bought a pellet machine.

Walls called 911.

Walls said Wednesday that explaining what happened to would-be customers has been embarrassing. She said she's mad at herself for being conned and feels guilt over getting Russell involved. Russell, she said, has been so stressed about the situation she could not even attend Wednesday's sentencing.

"I forgive you," Walls told Farber. "Not for what you've done, but so I can get on with my life."

Farber has repaid $10,000 (he got the money from his ex-wife) and was ordered to repay the rest. He was given credit for 41 days spent in the Clark County Jail.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Abigail Hurd told Judge Harris that Farber has an outstanding warrant for theft out of Clackamas County, Ore., and he was to be transferred there.

Defense attorney David Kurtz said Farber began with the intention to start a pellet business.

But once he got $25,000 in his hands and started thinking about his debt, "one thing led to another," Kurtz said. "It quickly went south."

Stephanie Rice: 360-735-4549 or stephanie.rice@columbian.com.