A Triangle businessman was arrested Monday, March 20, 2023, on felony tax charges filed by the North Carolina Department of Revenue related to business locations in Durham, Raleigh, and a former location in Chapel Hill. Raed Abdel Karim Amra, 47, of Apex, was charged with fifteen counts of Embezzlement of State Property.

Indictments allege that Amra, a shareholder and President of Tobacco Road Sports Café aided and abetted the businesses to embezzle, misapply, and convert to its own use approximately $1,711,868.70 in State Sales Tax during the period of October 1, 2012, through December 31, 2019.  During this period of time, Amra was a responsible person of ARR Entertainment, Inc., IEAT, LLC, and TRSC-Chapel Hill all doing business as Tobacco Road Sports Café which were under a duty to collect, hold in trust, and remit North Carolina, Durham County, Orange County, and Wake County Sales Tax to the North Carolina Department of Revenue. 

Amra appeared before a Wake County magistrate and was placed under a $200,000.00 secured bond.  A first appearance is scheduled for March 27, 2023, in Wake County Superior Court in Raleigh.

The charges against Amra resulted from an investigation by special agents with the Department’s Criminal Investigation Division in Raleigh.

The North Carolina Department of Revenue funds public services benefiting the people of North Carolina. We administer the tax laws and collect the taxes due in an impartial, consistent, secure, and efficient manner.