ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Ellen Madans Frost, 65, of Black Mountain, N.C., stood before a federal judge today and admitted her role in a years-long conspiracy to siphon taxpayer money from Buncombe County’s Economic Development Program to fund lavish equestrian events in North Carolina and Florida. Frost, a former county commissioner, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program fraud, marking the latest fall from grace in a scandal that laid bare backroom deals and misuse of public dollars.
Frost served as a Buncombe County Commissioner from November 2012 until December 2018. Between early 2014 and November 2017, she conspired with former County Manager Wanda Skillington Greene to funnel funds to the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Polk County and its affiliate, the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, Florida. The scheme used money from the County’s Economic Development Incentive Fund—money meant to boost local business and job growth—for unauthorized sponsorships that benefited private equestrian interests.
According to court filings, Frost pushed to support the Tryon Center as a personal priority, and Greene proposed using public funds to make it happen. The two orchestrated contracts without approval from the Board of Commissioners, violating state law. The equestrian centers, while unaware of the criminal underpinnings, received payments tied to access and perks—none of which were disclosed to the public or county oversight bodies.
To hide the fraud, Frost and Greene masked the County’s involvement by branding all sponsorships under the Asheville Regional Airport, an independent entity not funded by the county. Ads, signage, and event promotions carried the airport’s name and logo, deliberately obscuring the source of the money. County funds paid the bills, but the public saw nothing linking Buncombe to the spending.
The scam started to unravel after Greene retired in June 2017. County employees uncovered the payments, and by August 2017, the Board of Commissioners was briefed on the extent of the unauthorized contracts. Records show Frost acted as the point of contact for a County-funded VIP table at the Tryon Center’s exclusive Legends Club, which she used repeatedly in 2015 and 2016 to host friends and guests—luxury access bought with taxpayer dollars.
The case was announced by U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray for the Western District of North Carolina, alongside FBI Charlotte, North Carolina SBI, and IRS-Criminal Investigation. Frost now faces federal sentencing for conspiracy to commit federal program fraud. Her guilty plea confirms what whistleblowers and auditors long suspected: power, privilege, and public money were exploited behind closed doors in the hills of Western North Carolina.
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Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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