Former Jackson Health Foundation COO admits stealing $4.3 million, buying luxury items including rose-gold golf cart

Charmaine Gatlin, the former chief operating officer of the Jackson Health Foundation, has pleaded guilty to embezzling at least $4.3 million from the nonprofit fundraising arm of Miami’s public hospital system, federal prosecutors said.

Prosecutors say Gatlin diverted donor funds and foundation payments over a decade, from 2014 through 2024, and used the proceeds to pay for luxury items, personal credit cards and other expenses. Records in the criminal case indicate she approved roughly $2 million in invoices to a Georgia-based audiovisual company for services that were never rendered and received kickbacks in return.

Gatlin, 52, who earned between about $185,000 and $290,000 while employed by the foundation, directed funds to herself, relatives and unrelated entities rather than to Jackson Health System, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida said. Among the items purchased with diverted funds was a rose-gold colored golf cart valued at roughly $15,600 that was delivered to Gatlin’s home in Weston. Prosecutors say she also received luxury goods including designer merchandise and electronics.

The audiovisual vendor, identified in court filings as American Sound Design, allegedly paid Gatlin about $1 million in kickbacks. The company’s principal, Yergan Jones, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces two to three years in prison and restitution obligations of about $2.1 million, according to filings and local reporting.

Gatlin was fired in 2024 after internal reviews at Jackson Health Foundation flagged irregularities. The foundation referred the matter to the FBI, and Gatlin was arrested in May 2025. She initially pleaded not guilty but later admitted her role in the scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. She faces 26 counts of wire fraud, five counts of money laundering and a conspiracy charge. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 25 before U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom; federal law provides for a maximum statutory sentence of up to 20 years for some of the offenses charged.

Jackson Health Foundation is the fundraising arm for Jackson Health System, which provides care to residents of Miami-Dade County. The foundation and the hospital system notified law enforcement after the internal audit and have cooperated with investigators, Jackson Health CEO Carlos Migoya said in a statement. "Stealing from a charity that supports a public hospital system is especially reprehensible because it directly impacts the sick, needy, and most vulnerable," Migoya said.

Federal investigators in Miami and the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office assisted in the probe, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Court filings describe a pattern in which Gatlin allegedly coached the vendor on how to prepare false invoices, including charging for work that had already been donated to the health system.

The foundation’s disclosure of the embezzlement and prompt referral to federal authorities follow broader scrutiny of nonprofit controls and stewardship of donated funds. Officials at Jackson Health Foundation said they have reviewed internal controls and will continue to support the government’s investigation and prosecution.

Gatlin’s plea resolves the criminal charging phase, but restitution and civil recovery efforts may continue. The vendor principal’s guilty plea and restitution orders reflect efforts by prosecutors to recover funds for the nonprofit and to hold corporate partners accountable in schemes that divert charitable dollars to private use.