PANAMA CITY, Fla. — The man who once helped organize Ocean City’s BikeFest is behind bars in Florida, accused of a pattern of fraud involving thousands of dollars in worthless checks.
Chase Micheal, a former event promoter known locally for his involvement with OC BikeFest, has been held in Bay County Jail since January after violating conditions of his bail agreement, according to Florida court records. The charges against Micheal stem from a 2023 case in which he was accused of issuing more than 20 bad checks while working with the Thunder Beach motorcycle rally in Panama City Beach.
Future of BikeFest unclear
Micheal's incarceration comes as the future of BikeFest is in jeopardy. OC Jams LLC, BikeFest's operator, entered into a three-year agreement with the town to produce Bikefest at the Inlet Parking Lot for the 2023, 2024 and 2025 seasons. However, town officials confirmed this week that the company is no longer in compliance with the terms of the agreement, casting doubt on whether the next event will proceed. Micheal's Facebook page still lists him as the Marketing Director for OC BikeFest.
Years of bad checks under investigationÂ
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office says that from October 2022 through May 2023, Micheal issued 22 checks with insufficient funds. At the time, he was helping coordinate Thunder Beach by securing entertainment, vendors, and working with local officials.
More recently, in 2024, detectives say Micheal continued to write checks despite having insufficient funds. Incident reports from the Sheriff's Office say a $34,900 check in November and $35,000 check in July written by Micheal both bounced.
Micheal in jail, writes letters to court
Micheal has written a series of letters from jail to the courts as recently as April 13. In at least one letter, Micheal asked to be released from custody. The court denied those requests. A jury trial is scheduled for June 16.