While I'm not sure everything went down the way it should have with your project. And I think the stakes were high. It seems a few things were implied with your project that wasn't very clear and thus got ya in some crap. Not only that your partner went rogue and couldn't defend his position.
And people even have called it scam.
But from what I've read I can't say that I think you're a criminal nor a scammer and I'm sorry someone cut the flower off because when I consider your case that's what it feels like.
I suppose we'll never know either way now, but I'd like to be able to buy you a beer sometime regardless. :)
Good luck and regards