After a six-month investigation, Bourne police have charged a local businessman with giving teenage employees alcohol and money as rewards for vandalizing a competing ice cream parlor.

David Ariagno, the 53-year-old owner of Lazy Sundaes Ice Cream in the village of Cataumet, was released on his own recognizance Monday after pleading not guilty to two counts of malicious or wanton damaging of property, along with malicious destruction of property worth more than $250 and contributing to the delinquency of his teenage workers.

Bourne police opened the investigation after a string of vandalism incidents at the nearby Somerset Creamery ice cream store on Route 28, where the windows had been repeatedly broken with rocks.

Detective John Doble said police eventually determined that teenage employees of Lazy Sundaes were behind the vandalism. Police then learned after interviewing the three suspects that Ariagno’s interest in disrupting a competitor was ultimately driving the behavior, Doble said.

Ariagno, who allegedly smoked marijuana with his teenage employees, also urged them to puncture the tires of staff and customers at the Lobster Trap restaurant on Shore Road, Doble said. But the teenagers refused.

“I think that it started to sink in,” Doble said.

Doble said the three teenagers have been charged with malicious destruction of property.

Ariagno is scheduled to return to Falmouth District Court for a Feb. 11 pre-trial hearing, according to court records.