ASHEVILLE — A horse owner and former county official in North Carolina is accused by prosecutors of funneling public money meant to boost the local economy into remote businesses that staged or promoted equestrian shows.
The U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release on Tuesday that an indictment lists multiple fraud charges against 64-year-old Ellen Madans Frost, a former Buncombe County Commissioner.
According to the news release, the indictment says that between 2014 and 2017, Frost conspired with ex-Buncombe County Manager Wanda Greene to misapply $575,000 in economic development incentive funds to support equestrian enterprises in North Carolina. Florida and New York.
Prosecutors say Frost and Greene tried to hide the scheme by using the funds to promote the Asheville Regional Airport, which isn’t governed or funded by the county.
