Jackson Health Foundation Executive Charged with Pocketing Over $1 million in Kickbacks, Stealing Foundation Money to Buy Designer Handbags and Rose Gold Golf Cart

MIAMI – A federal indictment unsealed today charges former Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Jackson Health Foundation with designing a scheme to embezzle from the nonprofit foundation by submitting false invoices and taking kickbacks.   

According to the indictment, Charmaine Gatlin, 52, formerly of Weston, Fla., served as the COO of the Jackson Health Foundation from 2014 through 2024.  The Foundation is the fundraising arm of Jackson Health System (Jackson), a nonprofit hospital and medical system that serves Miami-Dade County. In addition to philanthropic contributions, Jackson’s funding comes from sales taxes, federal government programs, and other sources. As COO, Gatlin received a base salary ranging from $185,000 to $290,000. She signed a conflict-of-interest form with the Foundation preventing her from making decisions that resulted in personal gain.

The indictment alleges that Gatlin submitted false invoices to the Foundation for at least $3.6 million in goods and services that: (a) funded kickbacks to Gatlin; (b) were never provided to the Foundation or Jackson; (c) were provided to Gatlin or her relatives instead of the Foundation or Jackson; or (d) were provided to an Atlanta-based civic organization (Civic Organization 1).

For example, as charged in the indictment, Gatlin approved approximately $2 million in invoices to a Georgia-based audiovisual company for services that were not 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. The indictment alleges that Gatlin coached the vendor, via email, on how to falsify invoices.

The indictment also alleges that Gatlin falsified invoices from a merchandise vendor who, at Gatlin’s request, bought her expensive designer gifts from Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Apple. Gatlin also submitted a false invoice to the Foundation to cover the purchase of a new rose gold-colored golf cart that she had delivered to her Weston, Florida home in September 2023.

The indictment charges Gatlin with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, 26 counts of wire fraud, and five counts of money laundering. Gatlin faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each of the conspiracy and substantive wire fraud counts. She faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment on each money laundering count.

U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne of the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of FBI Miami made the announcement.

FBI Miami investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Young is prosecuting this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao-sdfl. The case number is 25-cr-20220.

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