Florida Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly stealing $5 million in COVID-19 relief funds from FEMA. Prosecutors claim she used a substantial portion of these funds, obtained through her family's healthcare company, Trinity Healthcare Services, to finance her 2021 campaign for Florida's 20th Congressional District.
The scheme, according to the Justice Department, involved an overpayment of $5 million to Trinity Healthcare Services for a contract to register people for COVID-19 vaccines. Prosecutors allege that Cherfilus-McCormick, who was the CEO of Trinity Healthcare Services at the time, and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, then laundered the money through multiple accounts to conceal its origin.
The indictment further states that Cherfilus-McCormick and another defendant directed funds to friends and relatives, who then disguised the money as their personal contributions to her campaign. In addition to the embezzlement charges, Cherfilus-McCormick and her 2021 tax preparer are accused of conspiring to file a false federal tax return.
If convicted, Cherfilus-McCormick could face up to 53 years in prison, while her brother faces up to 35 years. Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat representing a district in Broward and Palm Beach Counties, entered Congress in 2022.
At the time of this report, it was unclear if she had retained legal counsel, and a spokeswoman for her did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
