Cantonment Woman Sentenced for Tax Fraud

PENSACOLA, FL—A Cantonment woman was sentenced yesterday to four-and-a-half years in federal prison for wire fraud, filing a false tax return, and failing to file a federal income tax return. The sentence was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Kandi Kay Holden, 43, pled guilty in November 2012 to charges that she embezzled funds from her employer and failed to report this money as income on her federal income tax returns. Between November 2004 and January 2011, Holden was employed in the bookkeeping and accounting department of Cantwell Steel Erectors Inc. in Pensacola, Florida. Holden used her position there to make unauthorized wire transfers of approximately $282,000 from Cantwell Steel Erectors’ bank account to various bank accounts that she controlled.

As part of her sentence, Holden was ordered to pay $370,026.43 in restitution to Cantwell Steel Erectors and $90,145.59 in restitution to the I.R.S.

United States Attorney Marsh praised the work of Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS-Criminal Investigations, whose joint investigation led to the conviction in this case.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randy Hensel.