House Democrat Indicted in Massive FEMA Fraud Case

A storm of legal trouble has landed on Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. On Wednesday, a federal grand jury in Miami indicted her and several co-defendants, alleging they stole roughly $5 million in FEMA disaster-relief funds—a stunning accusation that could lead to decades behind bars.

Cherfilus-McCormick, who represents Florida’s 20th District across Broward and Palm Beach counties, is accused of using her family’s home-health-care company, Trinity Healthcare Services, as a vehicle for the alleged fraud. Prosecutors claim that an overpayment tied to a COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract was funneled through multiple accounts, obscuring its origins, with much of the money eventually redirected into political contributions.

Her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, is named as a co-conspirator, accused of participating in the scheme to divert FEMA funds for personal and political use. Federal authorities allege that Cherfilus-McCormick also conspired with her tax preparer, David K. Spencer, to submit a false tax return—mislabeling personal expenses as business deductions and inflating charitable contributions to reduce her tax liabilities. If convicted, the congresswoman could face up to 53 years in prison; her brother, up to 35 years.

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