SIOUX CENTER, IOWA – A Northern Iowa woman who was employed as a bookkeeper and stole tens-of-thousands of dollars from the business she worked at will face probation, fines and a suspended prison sentence.
Blanca Cecilia Castro Ramos, age 29 of Sioux Center, Iowa, was sentenced July 31, 2023 in Sioux County District Court for the crimes of Theft In The First Degree, a Class C Felony, Fraudulent Practice in the Second Degree, a Class D Felony, and Fraudulent Practice in the Third Degree, an Aggravated Misdemeanor.
Sioux County Attorney Thomas Kunstle prosecuted the case on behalf of the State of Iowa. This case arose in November of 2022, when a Sioux Center business contacted the Sioux Center Police Department about a former employee overbilling, altering bills, and keeping the extra money for herself. Castro Ramos previously served as the bookkeeper and had access to the business financing and billing. Further investigation by the business and police revealed that Castro Ramos stole significant amounts of money between February and November of 2022, resulting in ten felony charges including Ongoing Criminal Conduct, Theft, and Fraudulent Practice.
On July 31, 2023, Castro Ramos pled guilty and was sentenced pursuant to a plea agreement with the State. The District Court convicted her of Theft in the First Degree, a Class C Felony, Fraudulent Practice in the Second Degree, a Class D Felony, and Fraudulent Practice in the Third Degree, an Aggravated Misdemeanor. The District Court further sentenced Castro Ramos to a 15 year prison sentence which was suspended while she completes four years of probation with the Department of Corrections. Castro Ramos was ordered to pay $4,037.50 in criminal fines, victim restitution in the amounts of $52,606.25 and $2,200.00, as well as a $300 probation supervision fee. Finally, Castro Ramos was further sentenced to serve 30 days in the Sioux County Jail.
