U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick surrendered to law enforcement Tuesday and had her first appearance in Miami federal court following her indictment last week on charges of stealing $5 million in federal disaster funds and funneling the money into her own campaign.
Wearing a black blazer and flanked by two attorneys, she stood quietly, staring straight ahead, as Judge Enjoliqué Lett read out all 15 counts of the indictment just before 2 p.m.
The charges include conspiracy to commit theft of government funds; theft of government funds; conspiracy to commit money laundering; multiple counts of money laundering; conspiracy to make and receive straw donor contributions; making and receiving straw donor contributions; conspiracy to make a false and fraudulent statement on a tax return; and aiding and assisting a false and fraudulent statement on a tax return, according to the indictment released Thursday.
The charges revolve around Cherfilus-McCormick’s family-run company Trinity Health Care Services, which received a Federal Emergency Management Agency-funded contract from the state to conduct COVID-19 testing and outreach in minority communities during the pandemic. The state overpaid on the contract by $5 million. Prosecutors say Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, then stole the money, laundered the proceeds and used them to support her 2021 election campaign. The Democratic Broward-Palm Beach county congresswoman is the former CEO of the company.
Also charged in the scheme are her brother, Edwin Cherfilus; Nadege Leblanc, the chief of staff for her 20th District office; and David Spencer, her 2021 tax preparer. The three defendants previously surrendered and appeared in federal court Friday.
When Judge Lett asked Cherfilus-McCormick on Tuesday if she was aware of the charges against her, she said, “Yes, I’m aware.”
The judge set the congresswoman’s bonds at $60,000. She must surrender her personal passport and is not allowed to travel anywhere besides Washington, D.C., Maryland and the Eastern District of Virginia. She is allowed to keep her congressional passport, which she requires for certain congressional committees.
Cherfilus-McCormick was represented Tuesday by attorneys with Markus/Moss, a nationally known Miami criminal trial law firm. They told the judge that they intended to file to be her permanent attorneys.
“Good luck, Representative Cherfilus-McCormick,” Lett said before adjourning the hearing. Cherfilus-McCormick exited out of a back hallway and did not speak to reporters.
Broward Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick’s husband Corlie McCormick, right, arrives at C. Clyde Atkin Federal Courthouse as his wife surrendered on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, in Miami, Florida. (Carl Juste/Miami Herald)
The $5 million Cherfilus-McCormick received was due to a clerical error, according to the indictment. Her brother had submitted an invoice to the state requesting $50,578.50 for work that Trinity had done, and the state deposited $5,057,850 in a bank account controlled by Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother instead.
Cherfilus-McCormick and Leblanc are accused of funneling the $5 million to friends and relatives, who then donated to her campaign as if the money was their own.
Cherfilus-McCormick, Cherfilus and Leblanc are all from Miramar. Cherfilus-McCormick faces up to 53 years in prison if convicted, the Department of Justice said, while her brother faces up to 35 years, Leblanc up to 10 years and Spencer up to 33 years.
An arraignment for Cherfilus-McCormick is set for Dec. 29.
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