https://www.tampafp.com/florida-sisters-sentenced-prison-time-for-fraud-money-laundering-in-844k-embezzlement/

Two sisters in Florida, Kimberly Lovitt, 52, of Pace, and Amy Williams, 46, of Milton, have been sentenced to federal prison for embezzling over $844,000 from their Pensacola employer. Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, made the announcement Friday.

Lovitt was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison, while Williams received an 18-month sentence. The charges included wire fraud, money laundering, and filing false tax returns.

The embezzlement scheme spanned from early 2016 to 2021. Lovitt, working as the office manager, and Williams, a receptionist, used their positions at a locally owned Pensacola business to make unauthorized personal purchases with corporate credit cards.

Lovitt was found to have created false documentation and manipulated accounting records to conceal their actions. Additionally, Lovitt failed to report the embezzled funds as income on her federal income tax returns.

“Abuse of trust, embezzlement, and tax evasion warrant significant criminal consequences,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Spaven. “The defendants’ years-long theft from their employer and the extreme efforts to conceal their criminal proceeds are both illegal and offensive to all hardworking Americans, especially those who own and operate local businesses. It is fitting and proper that they are not only incarcerated, but that they pay restitution and unpaid taxes for their criminal conduct.”

The impact of the sisters’ actions was significant, causing considerable financial strain on their employer and jeopardizing the jobs of other employees.

Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of the Tampa Field Office, commented, “The sentencings today serve as an example of what individuals can expect when they lie, cheat, and steal and then try to hide the ill-gotten gains from the IRS.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Tharp following a joint investigation by the Pensacola Police Department and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, as part of the Emerald Coast Financial Crimes Task Force.