Chad Hughes, a Baton Rouge developer and restaurateur, was arrested Monday on counts of theft and issuing bad checks for his alleged role in the fraudulent purchase of a trailer.

Hughes, who co-owns Ivar's Sports Bar and Grill bar and was the owner of the recently-closed Bengal Taproom and Happy's establishments, allegedly failed to pay the $20,000 price for a trailer and dumpsters and later couldn't be reached for months by the seller.

Baton Rouge police were first contacted on Aug. 4, by a man who said he had listed his trailer for sale on Facebook Marketplace and was contacted by Hughes regarding the purchase.

The two allegedly agreed on a price of $20,000 for the trailer and surrounding dumpsters and met on June 8 at the Courtyard Marriott on Acadian Thruway to complete the sale.

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