Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Miami federal court to charges brought by the federal government that accuse the Florida congresswoman of conspiring to steal $5 million in federal COVID-19 disaster funds, according to court reporting by The Associated Press. Her plea came nearly three months after her indictment.
Cherfilus-McCormick did not appear at the arraignment. Her attorney, William Barzee, entered the plea on her behalf and said she was in Washington, D.C., where Congress was debating funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Barzee said, after the hearing, that she was “eager to get back to work” and “fighting for her constituents,” adding that her focus was representing people in her district.
Barzee said he had just taken over Cherfilus-McCormick’s case this week, after her previous attorney, David Oscar Markus, sought to reschedule the arraignment multiple times while Cherfilus-McCormick resolved issues with her finances. Markus later left the case, citing scheduling conflicts, Barzee said.
The indictment alleges Cherfilus-McCormick faces 15 federal counts that include accusations of stealing government funds and related accusations that prosecutors say include making and receiving straw donor contributions, aiding and assisting a false and fraudulent statement on a tax return, and money laundering, as well as conspiracy charges tied to each count.
The government’s case centers on what prosecutors describe as overpayments made in 2021 to Cherfilus-McCormick’s family-linked health care company, Trinity Healthcare Services. The company had a contract to register people for COVID-19 vaccinations, and prosecutors allege that after Trinity received funds, more than $100,000 was spent on a 3-carat yellow diamond ring for the congresswoman within two months of receiving the money.
Prosecutors allege the overpayment happened when her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, requested $50,000 but the company received $5 million and did not return the difference. The indictment alleges that funds received by Trinity were distributed to other accounts, including those of friends and relatives, who then donated to Cherfilus-McCormick’s congressional campaign.
Before she was arrested, the Florida Department of Emergency Management sued Trinity Healthcare in civil court, and the company agreed to pay back all of the money last year as part of a settlement with the state, according to the reporting. Barzee argued Tuesday that it was “surprising that the DOJ (U.S. Department of Justice) would take on a case” after the matter had been resolved through the repayment agreement.
Cherfilus-McCormick was arrested in November and released on a $60,000 bond. The judge also required her to surrender her personal passport and set travel limits that allow her to travel only between Florida, Washington, D.C., Maryland and the Eastern District of Virginia, while allowing her to retain her congressional passport for certain duties.
Cherfilus-McCormick won a special election in January 2022 to represent Florida’s 20th District, which includes parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties, after Rep. Alcee Hastings died in 2021.