Ex-head of Jackson Health’s fundraising arm is accused of pocketing more than $1 million: feds
The former chief operating officer of the fundraising arm of Jackson Health System was arrested Wednesday in Georgia on charges of directing an almost decade-long kickback scheme in which she is accused of pocketing more than $1 million and using the money to buy expensive designer items like Louis Vuitton and Gucci handbags.
A federal grand jury in Miami handed up the indictment last week, saying that as Jackson Health Foundation’s COO for the past decade, Charmaine Gatlin signed off on millions of dollars of “false” invoices submitted by contractors for goods and services that were not provided to the foundation.
She authorized using foundation funds to pay an audiovisual firm, a store that sold designer goods, and an event planning company that created videos, a website and other services for a family member’s softball team, the indictment says. She also paid a golf cart vendor to make her a showy personal ride.
“In all, Gatlin caused the foundation to pay at least $3.6 million for such false and fraudulent invoices,” according to the indictment, noting she received about one-third of that sum in kickbacks from the contractors.
Gatlin is accused of using that money to buy a Louis Vuitton Coussin PM bag for $4,350, among other Vuitton items, plus high-end wallets, hats and shoes. The indictment also says a rose gold-covered golf cart valued at $15,617.32 was delivered to her Weston home in 2023.
In one instance, Gatlin is accused of approving the purchase of $55,101 worth of trauma kits for burn victims that the hospital never received.
In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, the Jackson Health Foundation said it fully cooperated with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI during the investigation. Jackson Health System chief executive officer Carlos A. Migoya called the accusations against Gatlin “despicable.”
“These stolen funds aren’t just numbers on a ledger — they represent critical dollars meant to support our patients’ lifesaving care, construction of our facilities, and the mission that defines Jackson,” Migoya said in a prepared statement.
Appears before judge in Savannah
Gatlin, 52, is a University of Florida graduate with ties to several Atlanta-area civic and religious groups. According to the indictment, she had worked as a vice president at one of those civic organizations and diverted some of the money from her Jackson Foundation scheme to pay for services that benefited her former employer in Atlanta.
“The invoices approved by Gatlin made it falsely appear as though the Foundation or Jackson received the goods and services,” the indictment says.
In all, Gatlin was indicted on a single count of conspiring with other individuals to commit wire fraud, 26 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering. If convicted, the charges carry sentences that could send her to prison for the rest of her life.
Gatlin had her first appearance in the U.S. District Court in Savannah, Georgia, on Wednesday after she was arrested earlier in the day on the outskirts of the city, where she has relatives. A federal magistrate judge granted her a $30,000 “appearance bond,” paving the way for her release and next hearing in the U.S. District Court in Miami on June 4.
Gatilin started working as an executive for the foundation in 2014. Her salary as its chief operating officer ranged from $185,000 to $290,000 between 2018 and 2024, according to the indictment.
Gatlin, who spent the past decade as the foundation’s COO, was fired in November 2024, according to the 20-page indictment, filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Young.
Before her departure, she had risen to co-president of the foundation alongside Flavia Llizo, who is now CEO. As co-president and COO of the foundation, Gatlin oversaw financial management, budgeting and special events. It wasn’t immediately clear what she’s been doing the past few months. She could not be reached for comment.
The Miami Herald reported at the end of January that an audit of the fundraising arm showed that it was under investigation for a “possible misappropriation” of funds. The audit said the investigation was being conducted by an independent forensic expert and law enforcement.
On Wednesday, Jackson spokeswoman Lidia Amoretti-Morgado said the foundation cooperated with investigators during the probe into the missing money.
“We always cooperate with law enforcement,” she said.
Foundation raises millions for Jackson Health
The Jackson Foundation — which raised more than $9 million for Jackson Health last year — is governed by a volunteer board of directors and helps raise money for one of South Florida’s largest public hospitals, which serves as the county’s public safety net hospital, providing care to everyone, indigent or not.
The investigation was brought to light earlier this year by the Public Health Trust, the volunteer board appointed by the county to oversee the tax-subsidized hospital system. Though Jackson Health and the foundation work symbiotically, their finances are separate.
The audit said the problems were discovered by the foundation’s management shortly after its fiscal year ended in September 2024. The problem was flagged in the annual financial report sent in January to the Public Health Trust.
At the time, Amoretti-Morgado said Jackson Health had implemented additional financial controls and oversight and restructured staff to deal with the issue.
This story was originally published May 21, 2025 at 1:01 PM.
