Uncle Nearest Founders File Lawsuit Against Former CFO Amid Company’s Ongoing Legal Battles
Fawn Weaver, the founder of Uncle Nearest, and her husband Keith filed a civil lawsuit last week against Michael Senzaki, the former CFO of Uncle Nearest, Inc., for fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of loyalty, among three other counts. The suit, which was filed on Dec. 29 in Bedford County, Tenn., adds another element to Uncle Nearest’s recent legal saga.
Senzaki stepped down from the CFO role in late 2024, and the Weavers claim they learned of his alleged misconduct shortly afterward. The couple is seeking compensatory and punitive damages after having allegedly suffered economic loss, reputational harm, and emotional distress as a result of Senzaki’s tenure.
According to the suit, Senzaki’s seniority in the company gave him access to “personal signatures, equity-related instruments, and sensitive personal and financial information,” which the Weavers allege he “abused to further a conspiracy” against them. The couple accuse Senzaki of falsely settling vendor payments, redirecting money to other entities under his control, and forging stock transfers in Fawn Weaver’s name.
The new case comes after a summer of consecutive legal battles for Uncle Nearest. In July, Uncle Nearest’s primary lender, Farm Credit Mid-America, filed a suit against the Weaver duo for allegedly defaulting on over $108 million in loans from January 2024 on and overstating barrel inventory values by over $20 million. Then, in August, a federal judge placed Uncle Nearest, Inc. into receivership and granted management of the business to a third party.
In late September, Farm Credit Mid-America prolonged the suit by filing a motion arguing that the company’s receivership should be expanded to additional entities overlapping with Uncle Nearest, Inc, but the presiding judge said more information was required to make an official move. Since then, the receiver has weighed potentially selling Uncle Nearest or refinancing the Farm Credit loans, The Spirits Business reports.
In response to losing authority over the whiskey brand, the Weavers filed a motion to terminate receivership in December, just days before suing Senzaki. The latest case claims the company’s placement into receivership and tampered reputation was a direct result of the former CFO’s misdeeds.
Fawn Weaver announced on Instagram that a previous gag order — which the court issued after she publicly spoke about the Farm Credit lawsuit on social media — has been lifted. Followers of the case can now look to her personal website for court documents. She regularly updates her website’s “FOLLOW THE CASE” page with links to documents about Uncle Nearest’s ongoing legal battle.
The article Uncle Nearest Founders File Lawsuit Against Former CFO Amid Company’s Ongoing Legal Battles appeared first on VinePair.