A contractor and his ex-wife, both accused of deposit account fraud, pleaded not guilty to the crime, according to officials.

Tim and Sandra Wheat were not required to appear in Superior Court March 13 for their arraignment. District attorney officials said their attorneys had filed a waiver stating their not guilty pleas.

The charges against the two relate to a bad $12,000 check written to a sub-contractor in a construction project at Kasie’s Place, a startup sports grill in Rockmart.

The blank check was signed by Sandra Wheat. However, in an earlier interview with The Cedartown Standard, she said the check was filled out by Tim Wheat.

She has said the check was never meant for the vendor that her husband paid but was meant to only pay $500 to another vendor.

Tim Wheat, who now lives in Carrollton, denied any wrongdoing in a previous interview

Kasie’s Place never opened after sub-contractors pulled from the project for lack of payment.

The silent partner, Jimmy Smith of Rockmart, had been paying the rent on the property and the debt incurred by construction since his name was listed on business and rental records.

Smith said he had paid Tim Wheat, as general contractor, for ongoing construction costs and expected him to pay sub-contractors out of the money.

However, many sub-contractors have liens against the property claiming they were never paid.