Owner of popular Lake Norman bars charged with embezzlement
Tucked in a Lake Norman cove, veiled by beer, wine, cheese and live music, a 70-year-old business owner raked in money — and kept too much for herself, authorities say.
Nearly $60,000 made from North Carolina’s sales tax tacked onto patrons’ bills never made it to the state, according to the Department of Revenue. Now, Trudi Ann Zangardi faces felony tax charges for three counts of aiding and abetting embezzlement of state property.
The money came from sales in two popular Davidson businesses nestled in the same Lake Norman parking lot: The Cabin and Lake Norman Cottage. A third Mooresville storefront, The Barrel, was also part of the scheme, according to an indictment returned by jurors Feb. 20.
Zangardi was the sole member of The Zan Group, LLC, which did business as the three bars from January 2020, through March 2022. She was still running the businesses as of October 2023, according to notes from a North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission meeting. Zangardi aided and abetted those businesses to “embezzle, misapply, and convert (the money) to its own use,” the department said in a news release following her arrest Tuesday.
New owners took over Lake Norman Wine Cottage in May 2023, Mindy Bright told the Observer in a phone call Thursday. Traci Shaffner purchased The Cabin in March 2023, the new owner wrote in an email to the Observer.
The Lake Norman Cottage produced the most sales tax at about $36,300, according to the indictment. The Barrel followed with about $11,800, and the Cabin made about $11,600.
Police were keeping her on a $50,000 unsecured bond, according to court documents. Zangardi will appear in Raleigh’s Wake County Superior Court on March 15. Each count of the Class H felony charge could amount to more than nine years in jail.
This story was originally published February 29, 2024 at 12:30 PM.
