Fugitive banker’s ties to pot farm probed

But authorities now are investigating whether, during his 18-month-long run from financial fraud charges, Price spent some of his time at a small piece of property in rural central Florida where hundreds of marijuana plants were cultivated in buildings he rented.

Also found inside, authorities said, were fake IDs carrying an assumed name (David Guillermo Ramirez), and false documents such as a passport, Social Security card and Georgia driver’s license.

The possible pot farming scenario added a new and even stranger twist Friday to the saga of Price, 47, who was arrested this week after a traffic stop near Brunswick.

Detectives from the Marion County Sheriff’s department were enroute to Georgia Friday to interview Price about the pot discovery, which they’d been alerted to by the property’s owner. No charges related to marijuana have been filed against Price.

Price was indicted in July 2012 for allegedly embezzling more than $21 million from Montgomery Bank & Trust in Ailey, about 170 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta. He also is accused of defrauding more than 100 clients of his investment advisory business of about $40 million.

He’d been missing since June 2012, and family members and business acquaintances got letters saying Price was responsible for defrauding clients. Authorities say Price told family members he intended to jump off a Florida ferry and kill himself.

Authorities have not yet disclosed much about what they believe Price did during his 18 months on the lam.

But authorities believe one stop could have been tiny Citra, Florida, on a patch of land owned by Rich Sipe, owner of a ministry in Jacksonville.

Sipe rented out the land, which includes a mobile home and a garage, to a man last year.

“He seemed like a nice guy,” said Sipe, who said he didn’t know the renter was Price; he had identified himself as “Jason.”

But when he saw media reports this week on Price’s arrest, he thought he recognized the man who was leasing his land. He said he decided to check out the property and discovered the marijuana, then called police.

Sipe said he “isn’t 100 percent sure” that the long-haired man arrested by police is the same one who was renting his land. But Capt. Jimmy Pogue of the Marion County Sheriff’s Department said, “We’re pretty sure of it.” He cited Sipe and the false IDs inside.

The rented property is tucked in a neighborhood amid sprawling horse farms. A battered green single-wide with algae growing on the outside walls sits on the land. An open shed is visible from the padlocked gate at the driveway, where black pots and large black plastic bags stand. The entire yard is shaded by water oaks.

Neighbors who knew Price generally said good things about him.

Niki Ward, who also knew Price as Jason, said, “He was just there to help anyone in the neighborhood. We didn’t see any of this coming.”

She described Price as “an average Joe” who put up a nice privacy fence around the rundown property, for which neighbors were glad. She said it seemed Price was going to help improve the property.

Lydia Marie Andino said she and Price worked together for about three weeks on farms in Jacksonville and Palatka. Price would plant vegetables and tend crops. Andino worked with horses on the farms, grooming and bathing them, and she said price would help her.

“I think he was a great, wonderful person,” she said. “He was a worker.”

He also blended in. While Price was a former well-groomed banker who wore short hair and executive suits, “Jason” sported boots, jeans and a ball cap in Florida. He drank beer in her front yard with other neighbors.

The only thing that ever seemed amiss to her was Price’s hair.

“I told him ‘you paint your hair’ ” Andino recalled.

“He said “No, my hair is dark.”

But, she knew better.

“He is a blond guy.”