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A steady rain in the morning. Showers continuing in the afternoon. High 57F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..
Rain early…then remaining cloudy with showers late. Low 47F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch.
Updated: March 10, 2025 @ 12:35 am
Karen Pierce Ramos
Karen Pierce Ramos
An Onslow County woman and former business owner will spend the next seven to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to embezzling more than $2.1 million from six local businesses.
In 2002, Karen Pierce Ramos was hired as a bookkeeper for Carolina South Builders and New Century Homes of Jacksonville, according to the N.C. Conference of District Attorneys.
Ramos worked for the two businesses and several other companies until 2018, when it was discovered that more than $40,000 in cash deposits received by one company never made it into their bank account.
Following the discovery, the companies began digging into their books and finding more missing funds.
Ramos was the bookkeeper and finance manager for a total of six different businesses: New Century Homes of Jacksonville, Carolina South Builders, Clayhill Farms, Green Recycling Solutions, Carolina East Properties, and M&M Land Development.
Officials say Ramos embezzled $2,161,955.73 from the businesses between 2011 and 2018, according to the N.C. Conference of District Attorneys.
In addition to purchasing vehicles, motorcycles, an Aruba timeshare, and building a new home during this period, the Conference of District Attorneys says Ramos used company credit cards to purchase inventory for her own business, Lauren’s Dress Shop.
The case was investigated by Special Agent Robin Todd of the State Bureau of Investigation, who analyzed the accounts and discovered the embezzlement began in 2011, and continued even after Ramos was fired.
According to court records, Ramos was arrested and charged in November 2022 with five counts of Class H felony embezzlement and five counts of Class C felony embezzlement.
“Using fake vendor payments, fraudulent credit card charges, and converting a business bank account to her personal account, Ramos embezzled an incredible amount of money from these companies,” said Janelle Cline, a prosecutor at the Conference of District Attorneys, which represented the state in this case.
“Some of the owners were using their own money to keep the business afloat and folks employed, believing the company wasn’t profitable, when all the while the problem was Ramos embezzling the funds.”
On Feb. 18, Ramos pleaded guilty in Onslow County Superior Court to three counts of Class C felony embezzlement and three counts of Class H felony embezzlement.
Superior Court Judge Bob Roupe sentenced her to 90 to 120 months in prison and ordered restitution to the victims in the amount of $1,661,955.73. Ramos was given credit for $500,000 for property that she turned over to the victims at the beginning of the investigation.
During the sentencing hearing, one of the business owners, James Maides, said Ramos was like family, he trusted her, and he was quick to recommend her to other business partners in the area.
“Cases like this are important to show that so-called white-collar crime can be just as impactful on our community as other criminal acts,” said Onslow County District Attorney Ernie Lee.
“The message is clear: criminals will be held accountable for their actions.”
Karen Pierce Ramos
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