The former COO of Jackson Health Foundation — the fundraising arm of Miami-based Jackson Health System — has been charged in a federal indictment for allegedly embezzling from the foundation by submitting false invoices and receiving kickbacks, according to a May 21 Department of Justice news release.
The indictment alleges Charmaine Gatlin, who served as COO of the Jackson Health Foundation from 2014 through 2024, submitted false invoices totaling $3.6 million or more for goods and services. This includes approximately $2 million in invoices submitted to a Georgia-based audiovisual company for services that prosecutors say were never provided to the foundation.
“Instead, the vendor allegedly paid $1 million in kickbacks directly to Gatlin, some of which she used to pay her personal credit card bill,” according to the release.
Ms. Gatlin is also accused of coaching the vendor on how to falsify invoices and of falsifying invoices from a merchandise vendor who, at her request, purchased luxury items for her from Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Apple.
Additionally, prosecutors allege Ms. Gatlin used foundation funds to buy a rose gold-colored golf cart, which was delivered to her Weston, Fla., home in 2023 through a falsified invoice.
Ms. Gatlin is charged in the indictment with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, 26 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering.
She faces up to 20 years imprisonment on each of the conspiracy and substantive wire fraud counts, according to the department. She faces up to 10 years in prison on each money laundering count.
