Fawn Weaver has filed a lawsuit against Farm Credit Mid-America for allegedly spreading “false and malicious” statements about her, after they accused her of trying to hide a $20 million loan from Jay-Z as her whiskey brand, Uncle Nearest, owed millions of dollars to lenders. According to a new report from AllHipHop, Weaver and her company, Grant Sidney, say they properly documented all of the money, and it went straight to Uncle Nearest.
The legal battle began making headlines, earlier this month, when Farm Credit Mid-America claimed that Jay-Z's venture capital firm, MarcyPen Capital Partners, lent money to Uncle Nearest, but Weaver transferred it to Grant Sidney to avoid seizure.
“The Weaver Parties attempt to imply (incorrectly) that FCMA was in no way misled at the time. FCMA was considerably misled,” the bank wrote, according to Lexington Herald Leader. “Whatever protestations Ms. Weaver makes now to the contrary do not change the fact that MarcyPen loaned money to Uncle Nearest, Inc., not Grant Sidney. Ms. Weaver, who exercises complete control over Uncle Nearest and Grant Sidney, moved the proceeds from Uncle Nearest to Grant Sidney to make sure that $20 million coming in could not be snatched by [FCMA].”
Uncle Nearest Lawsuit Update
Citing intercompany agreements, Weaver argues that the transfer was a standard procedure and not an attempt to avoid payment. “Grant Sidney received no benefit from this $20,000,000. It solely went to the benefit of Uncle Nearest,” her lawyer wrote.
Overall, Farm Credit Mid-America has hit Uncle Nearest with a bevy of allegations. They claim the company defaulted on over $100 million in loans. On top of that, they alleged Uncle Nearest exaggerated the inventory of their barrels, sold off collateral inventory to cover other debts, and violated key financial covenants. Weaver denies these claims as well.
