The Davidson County District Attorney has opened an investigation into allegations of questionable conduct by Metro Nashville City council member, Loniel Greene Jr. – allegations that connect him to an aggravated kidnapping and assault suspect.
Greene is no stranger to the spotlight after he was shot in West Nashville by two teenagers in November of last year. Greene dodged questions from media during his recovery, but told police he approached the shooter because he thought he was a relative.
Greene is not accused of a crime, but is being placed under the microscope for posting bail for a man accused of a horrific domestic assault.
The District Attorney discovered that Greene told a judge he would pay for Tavarus Buchanan's bond, but then admitted in recorded phone calls that he didn’t.
According to an affidavit, the assault happened December 25 of last year when Greene's cousin, Buchanan, allegedly beat his girlfriend.
The woman told police he “picked up their child's Power Wheels Jeep and threw it on top of her.” She told them he then dragged her around by the hair while punching and kicking her in the ribs. He also allegedly gave her a loaded gun and told her to kill herslf.
One of the last things she told officers was that Buchanan said he “…would hire someone to kill her or bond out and kill her if she went to the police.”
NewsChannel 5 confirmed that Greene paid for Buchanan's bond. However, on Thursday, the District Attorney’s office filed a motion to revoke Buchanan's bond because of Greene’s comments in jailhouse phone calls between him and Buchanan.
In the calls Greene appears to admit he did not have the money to bail him out, that he had just signed for.
Buchanan said, “Do you got enough money to say, you say everything good?” Greene replies, “Hell no I'm on my last 3500 right now.”
The District Attorney's office alleges Greene wanted to keep the victim from testifying.
Greene said to Buchanan during one of their calls, “Don't say too much on the phone. I got you. But listen, let this be a lesson…If she willing to do this to you, to put the while folks to you, you don't deserve this…I'm gonna deal with her.”
In another call Greene said, ”But see, she gonna have to be shut down ... yeah I'm gonna deal with her. Because this is the problem, see with her, she wants to be, she think she smart. So Iet me do what I 'm gonna do.”
Greene went on to tell him in another call, “Cuz this game you try to play. You try to play the system, mother f***** I am the system.”
The court documents also point out that the two men were hiding a source of money.
In a call Buchanan said, “You can use some of that money I got up in the what-you-call-it.”
To read the full motion to revoke bond, and the complete jailhouse call log click here. WARNING, the calls contain harsh language.
NewsChannel 5's Chris Conte confronted the Councilman about his involvement multiple times at last week's city council meeting, but he would not comment. Mayor Barry's office also declined to comment on the case.
