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Baltimore, MD – A former office manager who exploited her position of trust to steal more than $1.7 million from an Ocean City home builder has pleaded guilty to federal charges of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and tax evasion, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Tammy Barcus, 56, of Berlin, Maryland, admitted that between 2016 and 2024 she forged a company owner’s signature on more than 500 business checks and funneled the money into accounts she controlled. Prosecutors said Barcus concealed the theft by falsifying company accounting records and hiding the income from the Internal Revenue Service.

As part of her role, Barcus had access to the company’s payment systems and accounting books and worked with significant independence. She used that authority to forge checks, divert funds, and commingle stolen money into her personal bank accounts.

The embezzled money was used for personal expenses, while fraudulent edits in the company’s records allowed the scheme to remain undetected for years. Barcus also misled the IRS by failing to report the illicit income on her taxes.

She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for wire fraud, five years for tax evasion, and a mandatory two-year consecutive term for aggravated identity theft. Sentencing is scheduled for February 9, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Maddox.

The case was announced by U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes and IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter.

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