Hialeah Councilwoman Angelica Pacheco surrendered to the FBI Thursday morning as she faces charges of health care fraud.
The FBI confirmed to the Miami Herald that Pacheco is in federal custody and that she was scheduled to make her initial appearance Thursday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren F. Louis in Miami federal court.
The councilor was elected in November 2023 after running for a seat on the council four times.
Pacheco, 37, a certified nurse, and her husband Daniel Pacheco, operate a primary care clinic and substance abuse rehabilitation center called Pacheco Medical Center, located on East 49th Street in Hialeah. It is not known if the charges are in any way related to the couple’s affairs.
During the pandemic, Pacheco’s family received more than $500,000 in combined federal Paycheck Protection Program loans for four of their businesses. She stated that this money was used to pay employees and keep the businesses running.
These federal charges could lead to Pacheco’s removal as a council member in Hialeah. Gov. Ron DeSantis has previously suspended local elected officials accused of crimes. Under Hialeah’s city charter, the City Council would have the right to appoint someone to fill the vacant seat.
This isn’t the first time she’s gotten into legal trouble. In 2004, at age 17, she was charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, one count of battery and one count of criminal mischief in what police described as a domestic incident. She pleaded no contest to four of the charges and was placed on probation for six months.
Pacheco told the Miami Herald that her stepfather had locked her mother in the house at the time and she had an argument with him. She says her stepfather abused her and her mother for years.
Pacheco may have hinted at her impending arrest in a cryptic social media post.
Twenty-four hours before her arrest, Pacheco posted a video on YouTube blaming the Hialeah government for any repercussions she might face.
“I want you to know that I have blamed the Hialeah government for everything that happened to me,” she said in the video. “I have been threatened both legally and verbally. They are trying to find a way to get rid of me.”
In the video, Pacheco used a clip from a council meeting with a comment that Mayor Esteban “Steve” Bovo Jr. made about her in a heated debate over the city’s position on marijuana use.
“I understand that you only have four months left as a councilor, but the time to honor yourself may soon come to an end,” Bovo said.
Councilman Bryan Calvo, an ally of Pacheco, expressed the arrest “with deep disappointment,” according to a statement.
“While I am not aware of Ms. Pacheco’s private sector activities, these are serious allegations,” the council member said.
“In the months I have worked with Ms. Pacheco, she has been a steadfast advocate for government transparency, community involvement and lower taxes, and she has performed honorably in those aspects,” Calvo said.
