Former Nashville Metro Councilman had a rapid fall. Loniel Greene won a recent election as a Metro Councilman. Greene later resigned to avoid any criminal charges but he was not so lucky. Greene was indicted last week for coercion of a witness in an on going domestic violence case.

Greene made some phone calls to his cousin while he was in the Nashville Metro jail. All jail phone calls are recorded. Both Greene and his cousin knew of this fact. Yet, Greene promised to "work on" the woman. Greene appeared in court on a bail bond source hearing. The Nashville criminal courts have adopted a procedure that requires a hearing to determine the source of the money for any bail bond set over $75,000.00. Mr. Greene admitted he lied at the source hearing. After the source hearing, assistant district attorneys combed over the jail house telephone calls. You can listen to the jailhouse calls here. They discovered Mr. Greene was lying at the source hearing which triggered his downfall.

A motion to revoke his cousin Tavares Buchanan bond was filed. A deal was cut. Mr. Greene would resign his post as councilman and he would testify against Mr. Buchanan. In exchange, Mr. Greene would get immunity. It did not go as planned.

With lighting speed, the Davidson County Grand Jury returned a true bill charging him with coercion of a witness.

39-16-507. Coercion of witness.

 

(a)  A person commits an offense who, by means of coercion, influences or attempts to influence a witness or prospective witness in an official proceeding with intent to influence the witness to:

     (1)  Testify falsely;

     (2)  Withhold any truthful testimony, truthful information, document or thing; or

     (3)  Elude legal process summoning the witness to testify or supply evidence, or to be absent from an official proceeding to which the witness has been legally summoned.

The lesson learned is never talk on a telephone where you know it is recorded.