Hialeah councilwoman Angelica Pacheco surrendered to the FBI on Thursday following her indictment on health care fraud charges.
Pacheco, who was elected last November, was accused of falsely billing private insurers millions of dollars for services at Florida Life Recovery and Rehabilitation, her addiction treatment center that is no longer in operation.
According to the grand jury indictment, the business submitted more than $19 million in bogus claims to several insurance companies over a three-year period.
Pacheco's office released a lengthy statement proclaiming her innocence and accusing Hialeah's mayor of being behind the accusations.
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"Although these accusations do not originate in the city of Hialeah, the councilwoman points out that the mayor is behind this due to her extensive network of contacts. Several months ago, people close to the mayor alerted her about his intentions to get rid of her and that there was already a plan in motion," the statement said.
Read the full statement, which was written in Spanish, here.
It also, in essence, called on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis not to suspend her from office — something he has done with other elected officials facing charges.
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Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo responded to the charges, calling it "an unfortunate day for the residents" and that the accusations aren't related to her role in the city.
