Escambia Woman Gets 10 Years For Stealing From Her Employer

March 16, 2019

An Escambia County woman was sentenced to 10 years in state prion Friday for stealing over $64,000 from her employer over a two year period.

Linda Lee Hanford, 51, was sentenced for violating probation and organized fraud for diverting the money from internet sales to her personal account.

Handford was hired to run an internet site selling electric golf cart accessories by Lender Services, owned by automotive dealer Eddie Mercer.  As a contract employee, she was paid $13.50 per hour to take orders, pass the orders to a vendor for delivery to customers and transfer the customer’s payment into a Lender Services bank account.

She would sell products at or below cost and keep the entire cost of the product for herself, diverting money to a personal account.

At the time Hanford was hired by Lender Services she remained on probation for a local felony theft conviction in 2005 from local marine supply business Ian Conrad Bergan. In 2006, she was ordered to have “no job receiving funds or paying out funds”.

Once Hanford was contacted by a Sheriff’s Office investigator and her probation officer, she sent several rambling text messages to Mercer, begging his forgiveness, blaming her actions on jealousy and depression and stating she was undergoing treatment for a “severe compulsive disorder”.

Comments

9 Responses to “Escambia Woman Gets 10 Years For Stealing From Her Employer”

  1. Deborah Daugherty on March 18th, 2019 5:52 pm

    She deserves every year she got.I know the Mercers and they are a giving and loving family,they would have helped her with her money problems.This woman had it made but too stupid to know it.Thank you Judge for the 10 years,maybe just maybe when she gets out,she will stop taking advantage of good people.I doubt it,tho.

  2. Williewonka on March 17th, 2019 9:05 pm

    She was on probation for stealing when she was hired.

  3. Chelleepea on March 17th, 2019 3:29 pm

    “Clearly what she did was wrong. However, 10 years? Why not 1-2 along with restitution? ”

    This was not her first offense and she was already on probation when she started working for Lender Services. Her probation clearly states for her to not work anywhere that she would handle money!!!

  4. Mr. Metoo on March 17th, 2019 7:29 am

    She steals 64000 from Fast Eddie and gets 10 years. Frank the Fishman Patti tries to rip off the IRS for 1 million and gets 1year in a federal medical candy facility. Maybe she should have driven downtown and got hit by the Garden Street Express locomotive train that doesn’t move.

  5. Stacy on March 17th, 2019 12:53 am

    Hey Linda, stop stealing! Ur obviously not very good at it!!…smh

  6. Say what on March 16th, 2019 9:30 pm

    Clearly what she did was wrong. However, 10 years? Why not 1-2 along with restitution? It will cost more for tax payers than the crime committed! There are murderers that don’t do that much time. The good ole boy system in Pensacola is strong as ever!

  7. Bob on March 16th, 2019 8:42 pm

    I had a secretary to transfer 20,000 from my business account to her personal account and to this day has paid no restitution or served one day in jail what is the difference.

  8. Chelleepea on March 16th, 2019 9:06 am

    It’s people like her who makes it hard for small businesses to hire and survive. There are a lot of employees like her than most realize. Sad….she was making a fair income.

  9. TJ on March 16th, 2019 6:16 am

    The only “severe compulsive disorder” she has is stealing other peoples money.