Trial date tentatively set in Buncombe County lawsuit against Wanda Greene
ASHEVILLE - A tentative trial date has been set in Buncombe County’s case against former County Manager Wanda Greene, who was convicted in 2019 on several federal fraud and bribery charges.
The county is alleging that Greene made fraudulent asset transfers to two of her family members after she refused to pay a $419,372 debt owed to the county from a judgment in a separate lawsuit. Greene and her family members sought to avoid claims from the county and other creditors by making the transfers, the county alleges.
According to court records, a trial will begin Dec. 4 in Buncombe County Superior Court. Court records indicate that Raymond Owens, who is based in Charlotte, has been designated as the mediator in the case.
Asheville-based attorney Philip Anderson, who represents Buncombe County, told the Citizen Times in a Sept. 8 email “we should complete the mediation by the end of the month.”
Wanda Greene referred the Citizen Times to her attorney, Walter Daniels for comment, in a Sept. 8 phone call. Daniels has not responded to repeated requests for comment. The Citizen Times previously reported that Daniels said the defendants are looking to settle.
Buncombe County filed the suit July 5, 2022 against Greene, her son Michael Greene, and her daughter-in-law Celena Greene.
The county alleged that Greene moved money in her accounts to her son and daughter-in-law to “hinder, delay, and defraud Buncombe County and other creditors.”
The defendants denied these allegations in their August 2022 response to the county’s complaint.
The case proceeded to discovery until Buncombe County hit a roadblock – Wanda Greene and her family were slow to give the county the records they needed to make their case. Superior Court Judge Alan Z. Thornburg wrote in a March 23 order that the defendants did not make “a good faith effort” to produce the records the county requested. This followed Anderson’s Feb. 10 motion to impose sanctions after the defendants failed to comply with discovery.
Thornburg granted the motion, ordering the defendants to hand over the relevant documents and pay Buncombe County $2,280 for the trouble.
Wanda Greene was the county’s manager for almost 20 years before her scandals marred her long career in government service. She pleaded guilty in 2019 to two counts of federal programs fraud, one count of making and subscribing a federal tax return and one count of receiving kickbacks and bribes. Greene was released from prison Jan. 10, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. She was originally sentenced to seven years in prison.
Michael Greene pleaded guilty in 2018 to crimes related to a county-issued credit card to make more than $200,000 of purchases. Greene worked as the county’s business intelligence manager.
Wanda Greene agreed to pay Buncombe County $750,000 in a 2019 settlement for illegally using taxpayer money.
More: Judge: Former Buncombe Manager Greene’s family ordered to pay sanctions, hand over records
More: Wanda Greene, convicted Buncombe County Manager, set to be released early; Greene now in NC
More: Michael Greene ordered to pay more than $11,000 after official guilty plea
In September 2022, a federal judge ordered Greene to pay $419,372 as part of a separate lawsuit related to Greene’s improper public fund usage and spending related to equestrian events, trips and dinners.
The judge noted that neither a $207,660 restitution payment Greene made to the IRS, nor the settlement pay, excused her from paying the $419,372.
Mitchell Black covers Buncombe County and health care for the Citizen Times. Email him at mblack@citizentimes.com or follow him on Twitter @MitchABlack. Please help support local journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Trial date set in Buncombe County lawsuit against Wanda Greene
