JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Wyatt Green, a Jacksonville contractor at the center of an I-TEAM investigation dating back to April 19, has pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud, forgery, and grand theft. If his attorneys don’t reach a deal with prosecutors, he will go on trial in the spring.
The I-TEAM has been investigating Green for several years, since the contractor was with Storm Restoration Specialists, LLC, or Storm RS. Prosecutors say Green forged insurance documents and took thousands of dollars from homeowners but failed to complete the work he was paid to do.
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Some of Green’s customers – including Hurricane Irma storm victims – tell the I-TEAM they were left with damage they could not afford to pay someone else to fix because their insurance companies had already paid Green.
Previously, Green faced charges including 19 counts of grand theft, as well as forgery and organized fraud. Last month, prosecutors amended those charges, consolidating the grand theft charges into four counts of grand theft. Two additional counts of forgery were added, making for a total of three, and the original count of organized fraud still stands. All are felony charges.
Monday morning, Green waived his appearance in court, but his attorney entered not guilty pleas to the updated charges on his behalf. During an Oct. 25 court appearance, Judge Jeb Branham told attorneys that if the two sides had not reached a resolution by the next hearing, a trial date would be set. When the judge asked Monday if the two sides were ready to set a trial date, attorneys explained they were “actively negotiating” a potential plea deal. However, Judge Branham pushed forward with setting a trial date.
“I’ve been talking about setting this case for trial for an extended period of time, so we need to get it on the calendar,” Branham said. “It’s an old case.” The judge added the two sides can continue to work through any legal issues and toward any potential resolution, then set the trial for the week of March 28, 2022.
Green was first charged back in April 2019. The following month, while out on bond, the I-TEAM spotted Green on camera betting thousands of dollars at a Jacksonville poker room. After we brought this information to the State Attorney’s Office, Green’s bond was adjusted to ban him from gambling. Green’s case has moved slowly since, with delays exacerbated by attorney changes and the COVID-19 pandemic.