KAILUA-KONA A Kau couple Friday entered not guilty pleas to allegations of welfare fraud totaling more than $20,000.
KAILUA-KONA — A Ka‘u couple Friday entered not guilty pleas to allegations of welfare fraud totaling more than $20,000.
Jene Nichole Green and Charles N. Green III, also known as Trey Green, of Ocean View, each pleaded not guilty to a single count of first-degree theft during a hearing before Circuit Court Judge Melvin H. Fujino.
Trial is set for Dec. 3. Each is free on $2,000 bail.
Hawaii County prosecutors filed the case on Sept. 17. A declaration by a state Department of Human Services investigator supporting the charges stated Jene Green, a local real estate agent who appeared on HGTV’s “Hawaii Life,” wrongfully obtained SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits totaling $27,241 between January 2016 and April of this year by not accurately reporting her true income as a real estate agent.
The investigator said Jene Green reported making just $3,000-$4,000 between Jan. 1, 2015, and April of this year. However, subpoenaed earnings from her employer indicate she was paid $360,158.03 in commissions during that time.
Jene Green holds a real estate license good through December 2020, according to the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. The department said this week that its Regulated Industries Complaints Office is investigating.
