South Florida woman Jamye Sharne Barnes, a/k/a Jamye Barnes Sawyers, 36, is headed to federal prison for three years after stealing over $187,000 in taxpayer-funded housing and food assistance benefits. Barnes pled guilty to two counts of theft of government money and one count of aggravated identity theft, crimes that exploited vital programs meant for the nation’s most vulnerable.
Barnes was approved for HUD-funded Section 8 housing in Miramar, Florida, through the Broward County Housing Authority (BCHA) on May 17, 2011. From July 2011 to November 2012, HUD paid $1,154 monthly in rent on her behalf. But from May 2012 through 2016, Barnes raked in $38,000 in housing aid while lying under oath about her income, employment, and bank accounts—information that would have disqualified her from the program.
At the same time, Barnes was gaming the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. She applied for SNAP benefits on December 16, 2008, and from May 2012 to 2016, she collected between $313 and $526 monthly. Each year, she certified her financial status under oath—knowingly hiding income that should have cut off her eligibility.
While defrauding federal assistance programs, Barnes worked at Loyalty Financial, Inc., a tax prep firm in the Southern District of Florida. As an authorized signee on company bank accounts, she funneled money for payroll and personal use. In 2012, over 30 fraudulently issued U.S. Treasury tax refund checks—totaling $188,746.70—were deposited into a company account. Barnes personally withdrew at least $127,327 of those stolen funds.
On top of her 36-month prison sentence, Barnes was ordered to pay $187,997 in restitution and will serve two years of supervised release upon release. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cary O. Aronovitz, who emphasized the brazen nature of the fraud across multiple federal programs.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, hailed the takedown as a win for accountability. The investigation was led by HUD-OIG, USDA-OIG, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the Broward County Housing Authority. Court records are available via the Southern District of Florida’s public docket at www.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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