North Carolina Lawyers Weekly

Jun 5, 2026

Guilty plea barred direct appeal of habitual felon challenge

The North Carolina Supreme Court held that a defendant who pleaded guilty to attaining habitual felon status had no statutory right to directly appeal the validity of that plea, […]

Mar 27, 2024

Charity’s former leader pleads guilty in scam

CHARLOTTE — The former leader of a Gastonia charity has pleaded guilty to stealing thousands of dollars from the nonprofit agency and failing to pay its payroll and other taxes […]

Jun 13, 2019

Civil settlement doesn’t block criminal restitution

A woman’s civil settlement with her former employer over embezzled funds doesn’t supersede a court’s order that she pay restitution in the ensuing criminal case, although the payment can […]

Oct 4, 2018

Criminal Practice – Embezzlement – Entrustment – Bank Security Measures

Although defendant’s employer’s bank provided two different employees with “key fob” security devices so that no single employee could issue checks, the employer gave both key fobs to defendant. Therefore, […]

Jun 29, 2018

Grand jury indicts sheriff candidate on multiple charges

NEWTON (AP) A North Carolina grand jury has indicted a former candidate for sheriff whose ex-girlfriend accused him of putting a tracking device on her car. A Lincoln County grand jury […]

Aug 3, 2017

Disbarred Lincolnton lawyer pleads guilty to embezzlement

A disbarred Lincoln County lawyer has pleaded guilty to 11 counts of embezzlement and was sentenced to at least 12 years in prison, according to the county’s district attorney. Peter […]

Jul 11, 2017

North Carolina lawyer convicted of embezzlement from clients

A disbarred lawyer who had offices in three major North Carolina cities has pleaded guilty to charges that he embezzled about $100,000 from clients. Devin Ferree Thomas, 47, of Charlotte […]

Dec 21, 2016

Disbarred attorney pleads guilty to $300,000 embezzlement scheme

Former Winston-Salem attorney Robert Keller Leonard, who was disbarred 10 years ago for mishandling a client’s money, has pleaded guilty to embezzlement charges after admitting he stole $300,000 from an […]

Aug 3, 2016

Corporate — Individual Shareholder – Embezzling Officer – Derivative Action

Raymond James Capital Partners, L.P. v. Hayes (Lawyers Weekly No. 011-259-16, 14 pp.) (Ann Marie Calabria, J.) Appealed from Caldwell County Superior Court (Robert Ervin, J.) N.C. App. Holding: Where […]

Jun 8, 2016

Bad bookkeeper

A judge has locked up a white-collar criminal with a history of stealing from the law firm hands that feed her. Felicia Kelley pleaded guilty on June 7 to embezzling […]

May 17, 2016

Cemetery Commission: Missing money a dead issue

Recent actions by the North Carolina Cemetery Commission are enough to make sensible business owners turn over in their graves. It turns out the nine-member commission, which regulates the 175 […]

Nov 11, 2015

Officials: Disbarred lawyer indicted on embezzlement charges

LINCOLNTON, N.C. (AP) — A disbarred Lincoln County lawyer has been indicted on 11 counts of embezzlement. Local media report a grand jury indicted Peter Capece on Monday. Authorities say […]