OCEAN CITY, Md. - A Berlin woman has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $1.8 million from an Ocean City-based home builder while working as an office manager and bookkeeper.
Tammy Barcus, 56, of Berlin, pled guilty to a three-count Information charging her with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and tax evasion.
According to the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, Barcus admitted to embezzling at least $1,790,000 from her former employer between 2016 and 2024. Barcus forged the owner’s signature on business checks at least 500 times, then deposited the checks into bank accounts she controlled, using the money for "her personal enrichment."
Prosecutors said Barcus concealed the theft from both her employer and the Internal Revenue Service by making false entries in the company’s books and records.
In her guilty plea, Barcus acknowledged she was a trusted employee with substantial control over business records and financial accounts. As part of her daily duties, she had access to payment systems and accounting records belonging to the home builder and worked with a high degree of independence.
Barcus faced up to 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud, up to five years for tax evasion and a mandatory consecutive two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft.
On Friday, Feb. 27, Barcus was sentenced to four years in federal prison, then two years of supervised release, according to the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office. She was also ordered to pay $1,793,688.87 restitution to her former employer and just over $562,000 to the IRS.