MIAMI – The former chief operating officer of Jackson Health System’s fundraising arm is facing federal charges after prosecutors accused her of embezzling millions for kickbacks and lavish personal expenses, including a “rose gold-colored golf cart,” authorities announced Wednesday.
Charmaine Gatlin, 52, was the COO of the Jackson Health Foundation from 2014 to 2024. She’s facing one count of wire fraud conspiracy, 26 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering.
Gatlin made a $185,000 to $290,000 base salary, but prosecutors allege that she submitted at least $3.6 million in false invoices for goods and services.
Besides kickbacks, some of the money went to an “unnamed Atlanta-based civic organization,” prosecutors said.
“For example, as charged in the indictment, Gatlin approved approximately $2 million in invoices to a Georgia-based audiovisual company for services that were not provided to the Foundation,” a U.S. Department of Justice news release states. “Instead, the vendor allegedly paid $1 million in kickbacks directly to Gatlin, some of which she used to pay her personal credit card bill.”
Gatlin, authorities said, “coached the vendor, via email, on how to falsify invoices.”
Prosecutors said she also falsified invoices from a merchandise vendor “who, at Gatlin’s request, bought her expensive designer gifts from Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Apple.”
The news release states that she “also submitted a false invoice to the Foundation to cover the purchase of a new rose gold-colored golf cart” that she had delivered to her then-home in Weston in September 2023.
Gatlin reportedly lives in Georgia now.
In a separate news release, a Jackson Health system spokesperson said that the “misappropriation” of funds was discovered amid a 2024 “restructuring” of the foundation’s leadership, saying it was “immediately” reported to law enforcement.
“Jackson has worked closely with federal authorities throughout every step of this investigation,” the statement reads in part. “At the same time, Jackson Health System implemented additional financial controls and administrative oversight of the Foundation.”
It goes on to say, “Jackson leadership and the Foundation Board of Directors are grateful to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for aggressively pursuing any theft of dollars intended to support Jackson.”
Gatlin could spend decades in prison if convicted.
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