Miramar congresswoman pleads not guilty in alleged pandemic fraud case
Miramar U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick formally entered a not guilty plea this week in a high-profile federal case accusing her of stealing more than $5 million in government disaster funds and using the money to make illegal campaign contributions.
Cherfilus-McCormick, who records show owns property in Miramar and represents parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties, skipped the hearing Tuesday, Feb. 3, in Miami federal court as her new defense attorney entered the plea on her behalf.
The charges stem from an alleged scheme involving COVID-19 emergency funds that prosecutors say were mistakenly overpaid to a health care company controlled by the congresswoman and her family.
The plea was entered by attorney William Barzee, who replaced her prior defense lawyers this week. Her trial is scheduled to begin April 20.
Barzee said Cherfilus-McCormick was unable to attend the arraignment because she was in Washington voting on a federal funding bill.
According to a federal indictment unsealed in November, Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, are accused of conspiring to keep and spend $5 million in disaster relief money mistakenly deposited into a bank account tied to Trinity Health Care Services, a Miramar company affiliated with her family.
During the pandemic, Trinity had a state contract to provide staffing and services at COVID-19 vaccination sites funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Prosecutors say a clerical error by the Florida Division of Emergency Management added extra zeros to a payment, resulting in the multimillion-dollar overdeposit.
The indictment alleges Cherfilus-McCormick sent her brother a screenshot of the mistaken deposit and that the siblings then moved the money through a series of bank transfers.
Prosecutors say that instead of returning the funds, Cherfilus-McCormick used the money for personal expenses, including the purchase of a three-carat yellow diamond ring for $100,000, and primarily to support the congresswoman’s 2021 campaign to inherit Florida’s District 20 seat left vacant by the death of Alcee Hastings.
In the heated campaign, Cherfilus-McCormick, a relative unknown, defeated former Broward County Mayor Dale Holness by five votes. Holness is now running against Cherfilus-McCormick again.
Cherfilus-McCormick has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and maintained her innocence, calling the case against her “an unjust, baseless, sham indictment.”
The criminal case follows a separate civil lawsuit filed in late 2024 by the Florida Division of Emergency Management. That case was resolved when Trinity agreed to repay $5.6 million over 15 years, or until 2040, according to court records. Federal prosecutors, however, pursued criminal charges despite the settlement — a move that Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat, considers political.
Her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, is also charged in the alleged theft and money-laundering scheme and is represented by the federal public defender’s office.
Two additional defendants, including her chief of staff, Nadege Leblanc, of Miramar, and her tax preparer, David K. Spencer, of Davie, face related charges involving tax violations and alleged creation of straw-donors.
At the same time, the U.S. House Ethics Committee recently found “substantial reason to believe” Cherfilus-McCormick violated campaign finance laws, federal statutes and House rules, according to a report released last week.
The committee’s investigative subcommittee said it reviewed tens of thousands of documents, conducted dozens of interviews and issued nearly 60 subpoenas.
Investigators noted that while Cherfilus-McCormick initially cooperated, she later invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during the probe.
A hearing on the ethics charges is scheduled for March 5.
Cherfilus-McCormick rejected the committee’s findings, saying she was denied a fair opportunity to respond due to the ongoing criminal case.
“I did nothing wrong,” she said in a statement, adding that her focus remains on serving constituents.
If convicted, she could face up to 50 years in prison and millions of dollars in fines.
