COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A Phoenix-based company filed two lawsuits against Mayor Yemi Mobolade and a former business partner, according to February court documents. The suits name two businesses. The two ran together at one point, The Wild Goose and Good Neighbors Meeting House.
The suits name Mayor Mobolade and Russ Ware as the defendants. Shamrock Foods says the two failed to pay the company on services and goods totaling $96,796.14 between the two lawsuits.
The suit alleges that Shamrock Foods was in contract with the two who signed as primary guarantors at both The Wild Goose and Good Neighbors Meeting House.
The suits say nearly $29,000 in food was purchased for The Wild Goose in January of 2018 and that nearly $68,000 in food was purchased for Good Neighbors Meeting House in April of 2018.
According to our news partner The Gazette, this is not the first time Russ Ware has had alleged financial mismanagement allegations brought against him. In June of 2022, Epiphany, a Latin-American fusion restaurant, shut down after Ware was accused of misusing funds. Our partners reported that Epiphany, Wild Goose Meeting House, Good Neighbors Meeting House, and The Well were seeking to break ties with Ware.
According to court documents, Mayor Mobolade filed a response to both suits in February of 2024. In the responses, Mayor Mobolade says the damages were "caused by the actions or inactions of third parties over whom Mobolade had no control and has no control," and went on to say the plaintiff, Shamrock Farms, failed to mitigate any of the alleged damages during the time of business.
Mobolade further goes on to make cross-claims against Russ Ware, alleging Ware engaged in a pattern of "fraud and deceit" stealing funds from The Wild Goose and Good Neighbors Meeting House during his involvement with operations.
Court documents state that the case is set for a management conference on September 12, a pre-trial readiness conference is scheduled for November 7, and a trial scheduled to begin December 9.
This is a developing story.
The Gazette's Breeanna Hent and Jessica Van Dyne helped contribute to this report.
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