Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who represents Florida’s 20th District, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Miami on charges of stealing $5 million in FEMA disaster relief funds, laundering the money, and using portions of it to support her 2021 congressional campaign.
The Justice Department announced the indictment Wednesday, alleging the 46-year-old lawmaker misappropriated federal COVID-19 vaccination contract funds obtained through her family’s healthcare company, Trinity Healthcare Services.
Prosecutors say Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother Edwin Cherfilus, 51, received a $5 million FEMA overpayment in July 2021, then conspired to steal and funnel the money through multiple accounts to hide its origin. The indictment also accuses her of participating in a straw donor scheme with co-defendant Nadege Leblanc, 46, and filing false tax returns with the help of tax preparer David Spencer, 41.
Authorities say significant portions of the funds went toward her congressional campaign and other personal expenses. She faces up to 53 years in federal prison if convicted.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the alleged scheme, calling it “a selfish, cynical crime,” adding that disaster relief funds “belong to the American people.”
Edwin Cherfilus faces up to 35 years, Leblanc up to 10 years, and Spencer up to 33 years.
Cherfilus-McCormick, who won her seat in a 2021 special election by just five votes and was re-elected in 2022, has been under scrutiny by both state authorities and the Office of Congressional Ethics over sudden increases in income tied to her healthcare company. In 2024, Florida’s emergency management agency sued Trinity Healthcare Services for overcharging the state during the pandemic; the company later agreed to repay $5.6 million.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigations are leading the current probe.
Her legal team maintains she is innocent, calling her a “committed public servant” and vowing to fight the charges.
