By Brian Gilliland, Associate Editor

(May 10, 2018) Former Berlin councilwoman and mayoral candidate Lisa Hall pleaded guilty to felony theft between $1,000 and $10,000 and felony issuance of a bad check before Judge Newton Jackson in Circuit Court on Tuesday, according to Interim State’s Attorney Bill McDermott.

Sentencing was delayed until a pre-sentencing investigation is complete. Hall has another court date scheduled in June, according to public records.

In total, Hall faced seven felony charges and four misdemeanors stemming from a course of conduct associated with her former business, the Berlin Butcher Shop.

Hall ran into issues with her supplier, C&C Meat Sales out of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, around this time last year, according to court documents.

According to the complaint, C&C Meat Sales Inc. made two deliveries on April 27 and May 27, 2017 valued at $2,836.91 and $2,415.46 and were both paid for with bad checks, apparently signed by Hall.

From this complaint came four felony charges of passing bad checks and two felony theft charges, of which Hall pleaded guilty to one charge for the bad checks.

Apparently cut off from her supplier, Hall made a different choice to stock her inventory at the Berlin Butcher Shop.

Hall admitted to stealing more than $1,000, but less than $10,000 worth of meat from the Acme in Ocean City.

Last August, Ocean City Communications Manager Jessica Waters confirmed Hall was being investigated by the Ocean City Police Department for attempting to walk away with about $3,000 worth of assorted meats.

An incident report provided by the Ocean City Police Department at the time listed Hall as the suspect in a theft from the Acme grocery store at the 9500 block of Coastal Highway.

According to the summary, police were sent to the Acme at about 1:38 p.m. on Aug. 19, 2017 to investigate. Employees at the Acme said a woman placed a meat order and did not pay for it. The person apparently placed a large order the day before, and didn’t pay for it either.

Police said they discovered the suspect placed another large order at another store and failed to pay.

The Berlin Butcher Shop closed shortly thereafter. Hall sold her house in Berlin in December.