LUMBERTON - Doris Newberry is hard-pressed to say what surprised her more - the fact that more than $23,000 was stolen from her business or that a longtime employee she considers family has been accused of the crime.

Police arrested 27-year-old Samantha Anne Bass on Thursday and charged her with embezzling $23,216 from Doug's Appliances in East Lumberton during a single week last month.

Police Detective Sgt. Steve Sutton said Bass wrote checks on the business' account to herself and friends during the week from March 16 to March 23.

Bass had worked at the business for more than 10 years as a secretary and salesman.

“I feel like somebody has raped me ... it's just put my whole business in turmoil,” Newberry said. “We treated her like she was family, and I treated her like one of my children. I even furnished her with a vehicle when she didn't have any transportation.”

Bass no longer works at the business.

Newberry said she discovered a discrepancy in her bank account when she tried to buy a part from another local business and was told her account was frozen.

“One of the things I'm having to deal with is I can't write any checks,” Newberry said. “ I had to open up a new account and they've lost my checks.”

Sutton charged Bass with five felony counts of embezzlement, eight felony counts of forgery of an instrument, and one count of felony count of uttering a forged instrument.

Police arrested Bass at her 8700 N.C. 41 North home near Lumberton. She was released after posting an $11,500 bail.