ARUNDEL— A suspect who was charged with reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon after a dispute over the sale of an air conditioner says he is innocent.

York County Sheriff’s Deputies were called to a residence at Clearview Drive in Arundel Sunday morning for a reported complaint of threatening with a gun, according to a press release from the York County Sheriff’s Department. 

Deputies met with a New Hampshire man Sunday who said he had purchased an air conditioner  the previous day through an online marketplace and picked it up from the seller, Noel Holmes, according to police.

Holmes, 42, was arrested Sunday by sheriff’s deputies and charged with reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon.

The York County Sheriff’s Department reported the buyer told police Holmes had offered to take the air conditioning unit back if it did not work to his satisfaction. 
The buyer said after he discovered the unit didn’t work to his satisfaction, he made arrangements through a series of text messages to return the unit to Holmes Sunday morning, according to police. 

The buyer from New Hampshire told police when he returned the air conditioner, he and Holmes got into a discussion about some of the text messages that Holmes perceived to be bullying, according to police. The buyer claimed Holmes had a gun and shot it beside his head in a threatening manner, according to police.

Homes said in a phone conversation on Wednesday that when the buyer left his house Saturday with the air conditioning unit, the appliance was in excellent working order. Holmes said he and his wife called the sheriff’s office Saturday night after receiving threatening texts from the buyer.

Holmes said when the buyer came to his house Sunday, he told the buyer he was waiting for a sheriff’s deputy to come to the house to address the threats and record the situation before he would give the buyer his money back. Holmes said the buyer became verbally disrespectful and physically threatening to his wife. 

Holmes said he did present a pistol, but he did not fire the weapon near the buyer’s head.

“I’m not an irresponsible gun owner,” said Holmes.

Holmes said he is a hard worker with a good reputation, and is not guilty of what he has been charged with.

“They guy lied to police,” he said. 

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or [email protected].