Governor Ron DeSantis has signed Executive Order 24-135, suspending Angelica Pacheco from her position as City Councilwoman of Hialeah. The decision follows an indictment on June 18, 2024, by a grand jury in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Pacheco faces charges including one count of Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud and Wire Fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1349, five counts of Health Care Fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1347, and two counts of Wire Fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1343.
The executive order cites Article IV, section 7(c) of the Florida Constitution, which allows the governor to suspend any elected municipal officer indicted for a crime until acquitted. Additionally, section 112.51(2) of the Florida Statutes grants the governor authority to suspend elected municipal officers indicted for federal felonies.
“WHEREAS, it is in the best interests of the residents of the City of Hialeah, and the citizens of the State of Florida, that Angelica Pacheco be immediately suspended from the public office which she now holds,” states Governor DeSantis in the order.
Effective immediately, Pacheco is barred from performing any official duties or receiving any compensation related to her role as City Councilmember for Group IV in Hialeah.
The suspension will remain in effect until further notice or as otherwise provided by law.
