Jail Supervisor Ripped Off Inmates for $250K

Dallas County just got a little less trustworthy. Umeka Treymane Myers, a former supervisor at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center’s inmate property vault, has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for pilfering over $250,000 from the jail’s commissary fund. Myers wasn’t grabbing cash; she exploited a system designed to return funds to inmates upon their release, turning it into a personal slush fund.

The scheme was chillingly simple. When inmates left jail with balances exceeding $30, the property vault issued debit cards generated by Keef Group software. Myers, as a supervisor, had the authority to override system errors. Instead of fixing legitimate issues, she used that access to create duplicate and new debit cards linked to the book-in numbers of released inmates. Meaning, she was spending money that wasn’t hers, belonging to people who were no longer incarcerated and likely unaware of the theft.

For years, Myers used these fraudulently obtained cards to make purchases across multiple states. The feds didn’t detail exactly what she bought, but the scope of the fraud—$429,640.66 in total—suggests it wasn’t just coffee and donuts. She pleaded guilty to theft from a program receiving federal funds, a clear admission of guilt that bought her a slightly reduced sentence, but didn’t save her from a lengthy stay in prison. She’s scheduled to report to prison on September 11, 2023.

This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. This was a calculated, years-long operation carried out by someone entrusted with protecting taxpayer money and ensuring inmates received their rightful refunds. Dallas County officials cooperated with the FBI’s Dallas Field Office throughout the investigation, a gesture that rings hollow considering the breach occurred within their system. The damage goes beyond the stolen funds; it erodes trust in the entire system.

Federal prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcus Busch, secured the conviction and restitution order. While the money will be returned to the commissary fund, it doesn’t undo the betrayal. The case serves as a stark reminder that even within seemingly secure institutions, greed can flourish. It’s a hard truth for taxpayers and a damning indictment of internal controls – or the lack thereof – at the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office.

This case isn’t isolated. Grimy Times has been tracking a surge in public corruption cases nationwide. From summer food program scams to ex-FBI agents running secret schemes, the temptation to abuse public trust is clearly a persistent problem. Erin Dooley, the press officer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, can be reached at 214-659-8707 for further details. The feds are sending a message, but the question remains: how many more crooked officials are still out there, waiting to be exposed?