NORTH CAROLINA —The attorney who spearheaded the prosecution of two former HoldGold officers died over the weekend.

Jennifer Detrick Evans, 40, died suddenly after becoming ill at her North Carolina cabin Sunday, according to Attorney General Henry McMaster.

Evans was deputy attorney general and chief prosecutor for McMaster when the state got convictions against Greenville businessman and former HomeGold Chairman Jack Sterling, as well as the company’s former CEO Ronald J. Sheppard.

Juries found both men guilty in connection with the collapse of Pickens-based Carolina Investors, a subsidiary of HomeGold.

Sterling, 71, is currently free on bond. He was sentenced to five years in prison for securities fraud.

Sheppard, 51, is currently serving a 20 year sentence for his role in the company’s downfall.

Along with the HomeGold cases, Evans also prosecuted public corruption cases and multi-county drug offenses for the state Grand Jury as assistant attorney general.

Evans, originally from White Planes, N.Y., was promoted to Chief of Prosecution in 2003. And in 2005, she received the Attorney General Award for Excellence, the highest honor given to an employee of that office.

In 2006, she also received the Ernest F. Hollings Award of Excellence in State Prosecution, given to the assistant attorney general whose performance best exemplifies excellence in criminal prosecution.

Known for her aggressiveness in the courtroom and pleasant smile outside of it, Evans also enjoyed spending time in the mountains with her husband and golden retriever Jack, according to her obituary.