Weavers sue former Uncle Nearest CFO alleging fraud
The co-founders of Uncle Nearest Tennessee Whiskey, Fawn and Keith Weaver, have filed a civil lawsuit against the company’s former chief financial officer Michael Senzaki.
The complaint, filed in Bedford County Chancery Court, outlines multiple causes of action, including breach of loyalty, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, defamation, and conversion, and seeks both compensatory and punitive damages.
The Weavers allege that Senzaki abused his position to alter invoices to make vendor payments look settled while redirecting money to entities he controlled, and allegedly forged stock transfer documents using Fawn Weaver’s equity without her knowledge or consent, resulting in severe personal and financial harm.
Furthermore, the complaint asserts Senzaki abused his financial authority to divert funds, hide liabilities, and manipulate financial systems while portraying the company as financially healthy during a key growth period.
The Weavers claim this information remained hidden for years and only came to light after Senzaki’s departure in late 2024.
In July 2025, Uncle Nearest’s main lender, Farm Credit Mid-America, filed a federal lawsuit accusing Uncle Nearest and its founders of defaulting on more than US$108 million in loans and breaching loan terms.
The lender also alleged that the company overstated whiskey barrel inventory used as collateral, which contributed to deeper financial issues.
A federal judge appointed a receiver to manage Uncle Nearest’s business and collateral to protect the lender’s interests after determining the company was in distress – a step that removed day-to-day control from the founders.
The lawsuit alleges that Senzaki made a coordinated effort to blame the Weavers personally for Uncle Nearest’s debt, despite them not personally guaranteeing loans with Farm Credit Mid-America.
According to the Weavers’ filing, this alleged misconduct resulted in the Farm Credit lawsuit, the receivership, and reputational harm – including cancelled speaking engagements and frozen funding for other business ventures.
In October, it was reported that a receiver was investigating the possibility of selling Uncle Nearest’s non-income-producing assets, including its vineyard in Cognac.
Shortly after this, the Weavers filed an emergency relief order to prevent the receiver from sharing “competitively sensitive” information with interested buyers.
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