KAILUA-KONA — A Ka‘u couple on Friday pleaded not guilty 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 Kona Circuit Judge Melvin Fujino.
Trial is set for Dec. 3. Each is free on $2,000 bail.
Hawaii County prosecutors filed the case 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 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 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 the matter.
Email Chelsea Jensen at cjensen@westhawaiitoday.com.