Date: March 21, 2022 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov Louisville, KY — A Shelbyville, Kentucky woman pleaded guilty last week to embezzling funds from her employer and including false information on her tax returns. According to court documents, Kimberly F. Jones was employed as an office manager at Guardian Retention Systems, LLC in Bullitt County, Kentucky. As office manager, she handled accounts payable and receivable, petty cash, payroll, and taxes. She also had electronic access to the bank accounts to pay bills. During her time as officer manger, Jones took several actions to embezzle from her employer. She used company credit cards in her name and the names of other employees to make unauthorized personal purchases. She directed unauthorized transfers from the company bank account and diverted customer revenue received by the company's electronic payment account. Jones also set up a business called KAB Enterprises, LLC to issue false invoices to Guardian Retention Systems. Jones would use the company credit cards and bank account to pay the fraudulent invoices from KAB Enterprises, LLC. Jones also failed to report her embezzled funds as income on her tax returns for tax years 2016 through 2018. As part of the plea agreement, Jones acknowledged that she owes $63,580 to the Internal Revenue Service. Jones pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, and three counts of filing a false tax return, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(1). She is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, Cincinnati Field Office, made the announcement. The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda E. Gregory is prosecuting the case.
