Manny Ramos pleads not guilty to stealing $106K in COVID money from The Spot

Chris Helms, The Enterprise
·3 min read
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BROCKTON — A Brockton businessman pleaded not guilty Thursday to stealing $106,000 in COVID relief from The Spot Lounge.

Judge Brian S. Glenny ordered Manuel G. Ramos to stay away from both the 133 North Main St. nightclub and the alleged victim, his former business partner Chenet Sam.

Prosecutor Alex Zane outlined the state's case in a Sept. 8 court filing. Ramos and Sam partnered in 2010 to start the club. In Zane's telling, Ramos never held up his end of the bargain. "The defendant ultimately never did anything for the business," Zane said in Superior Court in Plymouth on Thursday.

The state aims to prove that Ramos was stealing when he took $106,000 out of The Spot's business account in July 2021, shortly after the U.S. Small Business Administration approved a $119,300 disaster relief loan. In an oversight that Sam's attorney called an "error [that] proved fatal," Sam left Ramos' name on the signature card for the business account at Rockland Trust. Ramos spent the money immediately to pay personal debts, including $47,000 in federal taxes, the state alleges. Ramos also cut a $50,000 check to Adelito Vieira, who used to own the club with Ramos when it was known as Starz.

Spot Bar & Lounge, 133 North Main Street in Brockton, on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023.
Spot Bar & Lounge, 133 North Main Street in Brockton, on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023.

Sam left holding the bag

The loss of so much money left Sam "devastated," according to the commonwealth's case overview. He feared the restaurant and bar wouldn't survive the pandemic. What's more, Sam is on the hook to repay the federal loan.

Brockton legal legend Kevin Reddington represents Ramos. He previewed his defense strategy at Thursday's arraignment. "It's my guy's business and he [Sam] stole it from him," Reddington said.

Ramos, 53, has also gone on the attack. In June 2022 he filed a civil claim against the company the men founded, CSMR Corp., named for the men's initials. Prosecutors argue the suit is just legal razzle-dazzle. "The defendant submitted the filing only to conceal his theft, complicate the matter, and transform his criminal offense into a 'civil offense,'" Zane wrote in his case overview.

Sam declined to comment on the advice of his attorney. The next scheduled court date in the criminal case is a pretrial conference on Nov. 21.

Trouble at 133 N. Main St.

While not related to the embezzlement dispute, The Spot and its predecessor, Starz, have seen several acts of violence over the years. In 2017 a man was shot in the leg outside the club. The year before that, a man was stabbed four times inside the establishment. Back when the business was known as the Starz and Ramos owned it with Vieira, six people were wounded outside in the span of two months starting in December 2005. Ramos told The Enterprise at the time he was closing down the bar temporarily in the hopes that problem patrons would go away.

Timeline of alleged embezzlement

  • Nov. 15, 2010: Chenet Sam and Manuel Ramos form CSMR Corp. to start The Spot

  • 2012: The Spot Lounge opens at 133 N. Main St.

  • June 2017: Ramos demands Sam pay money to Adelito Vieira

  • June 1, 2021 - Small Business Administration approves $119,300 disaster relief loan for The Spot

  • July 9, 2021 - Ramos withdraws $97,000 from The Spot's account

  • July 12, 2021 - Ramos withdraws $9,000 from the account

  • June 2022 - Ramos files civil claim against CSMR Corp.

  • Sept. 8, 2023 - Grand jury indicts Ramos for allegedly stealing $106,000

  • Oct. 5, 2023 - Ramos pleads not guilty to stealing the money

Source: Court records in Commonwealth v. Manuel Ramos

Send your news tips to reporter Chris Helms by email at CHelms@enterprisenews.com or connect on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @HelmsNews.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Embezzlement at The Spot: Former partner allegedly steals COVID money