The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced the sentencing of Rhonda Rochelle Canidate, aged 49, from Greensboro, North Carolina. On April 15, 2025, United States District Judge Kelli M. Neary handed Canidate a prison sentence of 84 months for wire fraud and money laundering. The charges arose from Canidate’s embezzlement scheme involving her former employer, occurring between 2021 and 2022.
Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus detailed that Canidate, while employed as an accounting specialist at Henry Molded Products Company in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, engaged in fraudulent activities. Between October 2021 and June 2022, she made false payment entries in the company's third-party payroll software. This deception resulted in the issuance of direct deposit payments from Henry Molded’s bank account into accounts she controlled, posing them as payments to former employees. This act caused financial damage to both the company and the former employees by creating tax-related overpayment issues.
IRS-Criminal Investigation's role in such complex financial cases was highlighted by Special Agent Yury Kruty from the Philadelphia Field Office. "The role of IRS Criminal Investigation becomes even more important in embezzlement and fraud cases due to the complex financial transactions that can take time to unravel," Kruty commented. He added, "The federal tax laws are normally violated in these cases which can add to additional jail time. As we often see, the victims are not only the taxpayers, but also the individuals and entities who suffer the financial harm."
Canidate has also been ordered by Judge Neary to pay restitution totaling $480,033.12.
The investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorney David C. Williams is managing the prosecution of the case.