Convicted Asheville Airbnb owner faces assault with machete charge, possible prison time
An Asheville area Airbnb business owner awaiting sentencing for federal loan fraud is set to appear on unrelated charges of rushing at a man with a machete.
The machete charge, listed as assault with a deadly weapon, is a Class 1A misdemeanor, the most serious misdemeanor. Shawn Thomas Johnson, 37, and his attorney denied that he assaulted the alleged victim.
Johnson is set to be sentenced in U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina in Asheville after pleading guilty to defrauding banks and other financial institutions of $3.5 million. Johnson used the money to buy houses and turn them into short-term vacation rentals, often called "Airbnbs" after the online platform.
Originally set for Aug. 18, sentencing has been pushed back at the request of U.S. attorneys to a yet-to-be-determined date. Johnson is facing possible prison time and a $3.5 million money judgment sought by the federal prosecutors. He was released on a $25,000 unsecured bond.
But while on pretrial release Johnson has continued to make news: appearing in Buncombe County District Court on cyberstalking charges — for which he was found not guilty — creating a parody website that mocked those accusing him of malfeasance and now, facing the assault charge Sept. 8 in district court.
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Senior U.S. Probation Officer Justin Adams noted the assault accusation, recommending in an Aug. 17 pre-sentencing violation report that conditions of Johnson's release not be changed at the time. Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Gast did not object to the recommendation, Adams said.
"The victim alleged the defendant charged at him while wielding a machete and screaming at him to leave. Local law enforcement officers responded to the scene but did not file any charges. A summons was later issued on July 20, 2022, by a North Carolina State Magistrate," Adams said in the report, which was made part of Johnson's federal court record.
The warrant was sought by Brendan Lafferty, who on Aug. 23 told the Citizen Times he had driven up a dirt road in Starnes Cove west of Asheville to visit a friend when he got a flat tire. Lafferty said he had to remove multiple items from his vehicle to change the tire and left them on the side of the road because it was getting dark. He said he came to pick up the items the next day, on May 28, and found a Toyota Land Cruiser blocking the road. Johnson appeared and charged at him with a machete, he said, screaming for him to leave. Johnson owns property along the road, according to county tax records.
Lafferty said he could not understand Johnson's intense reaction and what seemed to be highly elevated emotions.
"I had genuine concern for my safety with this," he said. "Any rational person would say, 'Oh, I feel like I’m about to get attacked.'"
Buncombe County sheriff's deputies responded. Lafferty said he was told he could file a warrant. An online incident database showed no report by deputies.
Before Lafferty took out the warrant, Johnson went to the magistrate and took out a warrant against Lafferty for second-degree trespassing, a Class 3 misdemeanor.
Johnson told the Citizen Times Lafferty was "squatting on the property" and that he found an encampment while clearing brush.
He denied he threatened Lafferty but did say he yelled "at him to get off the property when he approached me and the encampment in his working van."
"I did order him to leave, and I did raise my voice when he refused," he told the Citizen Times.
Lafferty, who once owned the property now owned by Johnson, said the road was public and that he told Johnson that. Johnson told the Citizen Times the incident happened on private property.
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A magistrate initially refused to take out a charge against Johnson, according to accounts by Lafferty, Johnson and Johnson's attorney, Thomas Amburgey. But Lafferty said video footage he showed of the incident helped convince a magistrate to do so and a summons was issued July 20. He declined to share the video with the Citizen Times but sent a still from the footage. The blurry image appears to show a man with a machete.
Johnson accused Lafferty of "magistrate shopping."
Lead Magistrate Danny Cowan declined to comment.
Amburgey said he was working with local prosecutors to resolve the issue.
In an unrelated matter, Johnson is appearing in court the same day, Sept. 8, on a Class 3 misdemeanor charge of allowing domestic fowls to run at large after being notified of it happening.
Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Convicted Asheville Airbnb owner faces assault with machete charge
