SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. — Two Santa Rosa County sisters have been sentenced to federal prison for embezzling more than $844,000 from their employer and attempting to cover it up through fraud and false tax returns, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida announced.
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Kimberly Lovitt, 52, of Pace, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison. Her sister, Amy Williams, 46, of Milton, received an 18-month sentence. Both were convicted on charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and filing false federal tax returns.
According to prosecutors, the embezzlement took place from early 2016 into 2021 while the sisters were employed at a locally owned Pensacola business. Ms Lovitt served as the office manager and Ms Williams was the receptionist. The two used company credit cards to make unauthorized personal purchases and manipulated company records to hide the thefts.
Ms Lovitt also failed to report the embezzled funds as income on her tax returns.
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“Abuse of trust, embezzlement, and tax evasion warrant significant criminal consequences,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle Spaven.
“It is fitting and proper that they are not only incarcerated, but that they pay restitution and unpaid taxes for their criminal conduct.”
Investigators said the sisters’ actions placed a major financial strain on the employer and endangered the jobs of other employees.
“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,” said Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Tampa Field Office.
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The case was investigated jointly by the Pensacola Police Department and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division as part of the Emerald Coast Financial Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Tharp prosecuted the case.
