Afterward, the man who replaced Riddick criticized her punishment as too light.
The report says “a perfect storm of (Riddick’s) psychological vulnerabilities, her undiagnosed heart problems, and a set of extreme external conditions all combined to trigger Laura’s compulsion to sequester money.”
The report ties Riddick’s embezzlement to a series of stressors that occurred between 2011 and 2014. Her house was robbed, she was in a car wreck, she was sexually harassed and stalked, and her email was hacked, the report says. The stress also contributed to tachycardia, a heart condition, it says.
Wake County District Attorney, Lorrin Freeman, said Riddick is the one who could serve jail time. In 2016, Riddick stepped down from the position, citing health reasons.
Troy Ellis, who is said to be Riddick's courier, is accused of taking $50,000 in 2015. Veronica Gearon, the former Wake County Register of Deeds recording supervisor who has been indicted on six counts of embezzling, is said to have taken more than $80,000 since 2011.