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Federal prosecutors in Florida announced today that Charmaine Gatlin, the former chief operating officer of the Jackson Health Foundation, has been formally charged in connection with a $3.6 million fraud scheme involving falsified vendor invoices and more than $1 million in kickbacks.

According to Hayden P. O’Byrne, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Gatlin, 52, faces one count of wire fraud conspiracy, 26 counts of wire fraud, and five counts of money laundering. The charges were filed in an indictment unsealed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

The indictment alleges that Gatlin orchestrated a scheme to embezzle funds from the Jackson Health Foundation, the fundraising arm for the Jackson Health System — one of the largest public hospital systems in the United States serving the Miami area. Gatlin is accused of submitting $3.6 million in false invoices for goods and services that were never provided or were directed to herself, her relatives, or a civic organization in Atlanta that paid her kickbacks.

Prosecutors detailed that approximately $2 million of the fraudulent invoices were linked to a Georgia-based audiovisual company, with Gatlin allegedly coaching the vendor on how to falsify the invoices. The vendor then paid Gatlin kickbacks totaling $1 million. Additional invoices from a merchandise vendor were also falsified, which Gatlin used to purchase luxury items from brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Apple. The indictment further notes a false invoice for a rose gold-colored golf cart delivered to Gatlin’s residence in Weston, Florida.

Following her arrest, Gatlin made her initial federal court appearance in Savannah, Georgia, and was released on a $30,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ellen D’Angelo on June 4 in Miami, where the case remains pending.

The Jackson Health Foundation and Gatlin’s legal counsel have not yet commented on the charges.

The government is represented by Elizabeth Young and G. Raemy Charest-Turken of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. Gatlin is represented by Karin Kissiah of New South Law LLC.

Case Name: USA v. Charmaine Gatlin
Case Number: 25-cr-20220
Court: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida