Pamela Snow Lewis was indicted Monday on nine counts of embezzling in excess of $100,000.
Indictments are not a finding of guilt, but are a step in the court process that allows a formal trial to proceed. A prosecutor presents evidence to the grand jury, which then determines whether there is insufficient evidence, or sufficient probable cause for the case to be tried.
Felony embezzlement allegations had been lodged last fall against Lewis, then 62, of 1143 Turkey Ford Road, after a lengthy investigation by the Mount Airy Police Department into financial irregularities at Patterson Toyota on North Andy Griffith Parkway.
Owners of the dealership had filed a complaint with police after an audit revealed that more than $1 million in money and property allegedly had been taken from Patterson Toyota.
The probe focused on Lewis, who had been employed by the business for about 15 years in an office capacity that allowed her access to company accounts, Capt. Alan Freeman, who led the investigation, has said.
Through an elaborate scheme, money from the dealership allegedly was funneled into the woman’s bank and credit card accounts, according to previous reports.
The arrest of Lewis came after a painstaking investigation of the “paper trail,” Freeman has said, which spanned about eight months and involved reviews of numerous records.
Although the grand jury indictments have paved the way for the Dobson woman’s appearance in Surry County Superior Court, it is unclear when that will occur. Lewis is listed on the calendar for a court session that is under way this week, but Freeman said Wednesday her case is not expected to be heard during this term.
Lewis was freed under a $100,000 secured bond after her arrest last fall. It only took about 30 minutes for the woman to post that bond, a jail spokesman has said.
Contact Tom Joyce at tjoyce@mtairynews.com or at 719-1924.
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