DHS Suspends Former South Florida Congresswoman, Associates After Indictment Alleging $5.7 Million Disaster Fraud

WASHINGTON - Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Secretary Markwayne Mullin, DHS and FEMA are working with federal, state and local law enforcement to investigate fraud and hold offenders accountable.

Consistent with this commitment, the DHS Office of the General Counsel and the FEMA Office of Chief Counsel have indefinitely suspended former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of South Florida, her brother Edwin Cherfilus and multiple associates and affiliated entities following a federal indictment alleging they misappropriated approximately $5.7 million in disaster funds and used the proceeds for personal enrichment and illegal campaign contributions.

In this case, FEMA provided disaster funding to the State of Florida through the Public Assistance program to support the state-led COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

"Former Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick abused Americans' trust in the most egregious way possible. She manipulated the COVID-19 crisis to funnel over $5 million dollars of FEMA relief funds to her and her family members," said James Percival, DHS General Counsel. "This is outright fraud. That's exactly what a federal grand jury and the U.S. House of Representatives found. I am proud that my office is taking the first step to ensure she is held accountable and American taxpayers' money is protected from further misuse."

These actions are in alignment with President Trump's Executive Order establishing the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, led by Vice President JD Vance, which directs federal agencies to combat fraud, waste and abuse in federal benefit programs, restore integrity to taxpayer-funded safety-net programs and ensure that benefits go only to eligible Americans.

The overpayment and subsequent misuse of funds were identified through a combination of state-level reconciliation, FEMA's closeout process, and a federal investigation led by the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Public Integrity Unit. FEMA's Office of the Chief Security Officer and Public Assistance program staff worked closely with the DOJ to explain FEMA's funding processes to help trace the flow of funds and support the government's efforts to protect taxpayers.

Members of the public who suspect disaster fraud related to FEMA programs are encouraged to report by emailing [email protected]. Timely reporting helps protect disaster survivors, strengthens program integrity and supports the administration's efforts to safeguard taxpayer dollars.

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