Contractor hired to build Walton home arrested, charged with embezzlement

WALTON COUNTY, Fla. — A general contractor from Alabama has been charged with embezzlement for allegedly misappropriating money he was paid to build a home in Walton County, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) announced.

Michael Scott Barnes, 59, of Dadeville, Alabama, is alleged to have embezzled more than $250,000.

According to the WCSO, the agency was contacted by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (FDBPR) in August 2023 regarding a complaint from a victim regarding Mr Barnes.

In March 2022, the victim said they hired Mr Barnes as a general contractor to build a home for their family in Santa Rosa Beach. The victim said they paid Mr Barnes close to $1 million, but after a few months of construction, the victim alleged that hundreds of thousands of dollars went missing, and construction nearly stopped.

The victim reportedly hired a new contractor and reported Mr Barnes to FDBPR.

During the WCSO Criminal Investigations Bureau investigation, the WCSO said investigators discovered Mr Barnes misappropriated construction payments of $262,130 paid by the victim. The money was never returned, and Mr Barnes could not properly account for where the money went, the WCSO said.

On February 1, a warrant was approved for Mr Barnes’ arrest.

According to the WCSO, on February 9, after repeated attempts to allow Mr Barnes to turn himself in, investigators contacted the Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Office, Alabama, and requested they take him into custody. That same day, Mr Barnes was arrested.

On February 15, Mr Barnes was extradited to Walton County Jail and issued a $15,000 bond.

The WCSO thanked the Bureau of Insurance Fraud for its assistance in the investigation.