Remember during the Covid days when everyone was saying the boatloads of money being sent all over the country were ripe for fraud?
Well...
I gotta give you the rest of that caption:
According to the indictment, DOJ says: Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, and her brother Edwin Cherfilus, 51, both of Miramar, worked through their family health-care company on a FEMA-funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract in 2021. In July 2021, the company received an overpayment of $5 million in FEMA funds.
The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to steal that $5 million and routed it through multiple accounts to disguise its source. Prosecutors allege that a substantial portion of the misappropriated funds was used as candidate contributions to Cherfilus-McCormick's 2021 congressional campaign and for the personal benefit of the defendants.
The indictment further alleges that Cherfilus-McCormick and Nadege Leblanc, 46, of Miramar, arranged additional contributions using straw donors, funneling other monies from the FEMA-funded Covid-19 contract to friends and relatives who then donated to the campaign as if using their own money.
The indictment also charges Cherfilus-McCormick and her 2021 tax preparer David K. Spencer, 41, of Davie, with conspiring to file a false federal tax return. According to the indictment, they falsely claimed political spending and other personal expenses as business deductions and inflated charitable contributions in order to reduce her tax obligations.
The FBI director had thoughts:
The local news had this moment with Sheila earlier this year:
Sheila serves Florida's 20th congressional district, winning a special election in early 2022 and reelection last year. Needless to say, she had the funds to make it happen. Sheila's legal team says she "is a committed public servant, who is dedicated to her constituents. We will fight to clear her good name."
Sheila is a great name, sure; but what about her reputation?
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