MIAMI – A Liberty County woman has pled guilty in U.S. District Court, and now awaits her sentencing.
Charmaine Gatlin, of Riceboro, pled guilty Thursday in the U.S. Southern District of Florida court to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She was indicted on 32 total counts, including 26 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering.
With her plea, the U.S. Attorney for the Florida Southern District will seek dismissal of the remaining counts.
Gatlin will be sentenced November 25 in a hearing before U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom.
Gatlin faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, along with fines totaling twice the amount of money she gained fraudulently and restitution. Because of her plea, the U.S. attorney’s office is seeking a lesser penalty for Gatlin. Under the plea agreement, Gatlin agrees to make full restitution to Jackson Health System.
U.S. attorneys said Gatlin attempted to defraud Jackson Health System, where she was employed as chief operating officer of the Jackson Health System Foundation, from October 2018 through December 2024. Gatlin was charged with receiving kickbacks from vendors, including an audiovisual company and an event planning company.
Gatlin submitted and approved fraudulent invoices for goods and services either never received by the Jackson Health System or the foundation but instead were directed to Gatlin, relatives or civic or religious organizations with which she was associated.
In all, the indictment stated, Gatlin caused Jackson Health System Foundation to pay at least $3.6 million in false invoices and she received at least $1 million in kickbacks.
Between January 2019 and January 2024, Gatlin’s co-conspirator with an Atlanta-based audiovisual firm received $2 million from the foundation on false invoices Gatlin approved. Gatlin received $1 million in kickbacks from the firm, the indictment stated.
The vendor of the audiovisual company, Yergan Jones, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with the scheme, according to the Department of Justice.
Gatlin also asked the event planning company to create a softball video for a family member, set up a website for the softball team and making brochures for the softball team. She also arranged for the civic organization she was involved in to get event planning at its annual conferences. But Jackson Health System Foundation wound up getting the invoices, making it look as though the health system or the foundation received those services.
A merchandise company that provided T-shirts and water bottles with the Jackson Health System logo was asked to provide Gatlin with items such as wallets, pushes, shoes and hats from Gucci and Louis Vuitton and Apple devices. Those items were paid with through falsified invoices sent to the Jackson Health System Foundation.
Gatlin also had school supplies meant for a back-to-school giveaway at Jackson North Medical Center sent to Riceboro instead for a back-to-school rally there.
The foundation also was invoiced for a $15,617 rose gold-colored golf cart that was delivered to Gatlin at her home in Weston, Florida, according to the indictment.
FBI Miami investigated the case, with help from the Miami-Dade Sheriff ’s Office.