After seemingly climbing the corporate ladder to leadership, Charmaine Gatlin, the former chief operating officer of Jackson Health Foundation, was knocked down after being hit with major fraud allegations, according to the Miami Herald.
After being labeled as a “highly ethical” leader in her 2021 evaluation, Gatlin was placed on paid administrative leave during an internal investigation “related to potential misconduct,” resulting in her being “terminated for cause” in November 2024. Shortly afterward, the nonprofit executive, who once expressed plans of “refining and enhancing my skills so that I can lead as President/CEO,” was arrested for allegedly defrauding the Miami-based organization.
The rap sheet revealed shocking details that extended well beyond city limits. Gatlin was accused of fleecing, also defined as swindling, $3.6 million from the nonprofit by falsifying invoices from vendors in exchange for $1 million in kickbacks. The former executive then allegedly used the funds to purchase luxury items from Louis Vuitton and Gucci, including a $4,350 bag and a $15,617 rose gold golf cart.
According to Local 10 News, authorities have an email in their possession confirming the Louis Vuitton purchase. “This is the one she wants,” the email allegedly reads.
The accusations travel as far as Atlanta. The FBI investigation alleges Gatlin was “co-conspiring” with Yergan Jones, CEO of American Sound Design, who submitted “false and fraudulent” invoices — worth $2 million — to the Foundation for services between 2019 and 2024 that never actually happened at the organization. It was revealed Jones provided services for 100 Black Men of America, a civic organization with several chapters across the United States, including Atlanta and South Florida.
Gatlin worked for the organization between 2009 and 2014 before being hired by the Foundation. In a statement, the group said it had no idea of fraudulent invoices but is “fully cooperating with law enforcement and will continue to do so until this matter is concluded.”
Jones was also known as president of AEE Productions, which, according to its now-deleted website, has done business with some elite corporations, including Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, Walmart, and the Jackson Health Foundation. Gatlin even provided a testimonial about the company’s alleged work. “Working with AEE Productions is always an exciting time for me. They listen to my ideas and help me create ‘the wow’ that I am looking for during each event,” the online testimonial read.
“I have been working with Yergan and his team for over 15 years, and each event is better than the last one.”
The former COO is forced to travel back and forth from her new home in Riceboro, Georgia, to Miami to face judges in the process. In the indictment, filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Young, Gatlin was charged with a single count of conspiring with other individuals to commit wire fraud, 26 counts of wire fraud, and five counts of money laundering.
She was released on a $30,000 bond at the time of her arrest and ordered not to contact the contractors involved in the case, including Jones. If convicted, Gatlin could face imprisonment for several years.
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