Pender County clerk of court case: What we know from the SBI's searches of her work locations
As part of the investigation into Pender County Clerk of Court Elizabeth Craver, investigators executed search warrants for the courthouse, the judicial annex and the clerk's office.
The search was to locate and confirm the items Craver purchased for business use related to the Pender County Courthouse. She made the purchases with her own money and then sought reimbursement through Pender County, according to court records.
Craver, who has served as clerk of court since 2017, is now facing embezzlement allegations and is accused of falsifying time entries for employees, according to court records. She was indicted by a grand jury on Feb. 26 on three counts of felony obtaining property by false pretenses and one count of failure to discharge her duties.
Here’s a look at how the search warrants were executed and what investigators found:
On Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, the SBI executed a search warrant on the Pender County Finance Office and obtained reimbursement reports for Craver. The reports showed that Craver completed 11 reimbursement transactions with 82 purchased items, according to the search warrant application.
On Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, the SBI conducted a consensual search of the Pender County Courthouse located at 100 S. Wright St. in Burgaw and the Frances Dawson Basden Judicial Annex.
Assistant County Manager Alan Vann gave the SBI access to the courthouse and the annex he could enter. He was unable to provide access to Craver’s office and a conference room.
Among the 30 items investigators were unable to locate at the courthouse or judicial annex were a portable air conditioner, AA batteries, a Serta Manager’s Office Chair, a Farmhouse Circular Mirror for wall décor, an Apple MacBook Air laptop, a Better Homes & Gardens area rug, a heater, a bookcase and other items.
As a result, the SBI requested a search warrant to enter Craver’s office and other locations she has had authority over.
While court records don’t specify which items were located in those spaces, they do indicate that the Apple MacBook Air laptop was not found.
At that point, according to court documents, Craver gave written consent for agents to search her residence to retrieve the laptop. They did so on Tuesday, Nov. 28.
Authorities also requested to be able to search the files, browser history, and media content on the laptop.
According to the search warrant application, Craver stated that the only purpose for the laptop being used and stored at her home was because she occasionally searches for North Carolina General Statutes from home during non-working hours. She provided the password to the laptop so that it could be forensically examined.
The court documents did not specify whether other items were found at Craver’s home.
Meanwhile, the search warrant application stated that Pender County Clerk’s Office employees also came forward to provide authorities with information regarding Craver’s alleged misappropriation of funds and Pender County property.
According to the search warrant applications, one employee said they witnessed Craver make comments about taking chairs from the Pender County Courthouse and placing them in deer stands in the woods, which were being used for hunting purposes and personal use.
The judge is scheduled to make the final determination at 9:30 a.m. March 19 on whether Craver will be permanently removed from her position and disqualified from holding future office.
Craver was suspended from performing her duties as the clerk, according to an Order for Temporary Suspension. The order required her to turn in her keys and access cards for the Pender County Courthouse and any other buildings she had access to.
To fill Craver’s role while she is suspended, Camille Harrell has been appointed to carry out the duties of Pender County clerk of court.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Search warrants in Pender County clerk of court embezzlement case
