FeedsCourt hearing postponed in embezzlement case
Two former Wayne Ford Civic League officials charged with embezzlement received a temporary reprieve last Thursday when their preliminary hearings were adjourned until October.
On Aug. 10, 41-year-old Neal William Greenfield of Westland and his ex-wife, 39-year-old Shari Kay Greenfield of Livonia, were arrested on charges of embezzlement of $20,000 or more after allegedly siphoning off the proceeds of civic league-operated bingo games for nearly five years.
The Westland Police Department opened the investigation about two years ago after members of the Wayne Ford Civic League—a non-profit organization in Westland— reported that some of the money raised had vanished. Police Sgt. Chris Benson spent months investigating a lengthy paper trail and found major discrepancies in civic league funding from 1999 until 2004. The missing funds where allegedly traced to the Greenfields.
According to Maria Miller, assistant prosecuting attorney with the Wayne County prosecutor’s office, Neal Greenfield was president of the organization during the time the cash turned up missing and his then-wife, Shari Greenfield, served as vice president of the league until their divorce in July 2003.
When the case returned before Judge C. Charles Bokos of the 18th District Court in Westland last week, attorneys requested additional time to review the evidence before proceeding with the hearings. Both defendants are now expected to return to court on Oct. 27. The result of the preliminary hearings, which require the prosecution to provide probable cause, will determine whether the defendants will face trial.
During the initial arraignments, both Neal Greenfield and Shari Greenfield entered pleas of not guilty. At that time, Bokos also ordered a $25,000 cash or surety bond for each defendant, which both posted shortly thereafter.
According to police, Neal Greenfield was arrested two years ago for the larceny of some of the bingo money, but the charge was dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
If convicted for the embezzlement of $20,000 or more, the felony could result in a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
