Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa arrested for grand theft and COVID relief fraud
Florida Mayor Jackie Espinosa was arrested on felony charges of grand theft and fraud over alleged misuse of $50,000 in COVID-19 business relief funds.
Florida mayor booked on felony charges over COVID relief funds
Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa was arrested on Wednesday on charges of grand theft and organised fraud after a state audit found she allegedly directed $50,000 in COVID-19 small business relief grants to companies owned or controlled by herself and close family members, washingtonpost.com reports.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that Espinosa, 58, faces a second-degree felony charge of grand theft and a first-degree felony charge of organised scheme to defraud. She was booked Wednesday morning into Osceola County Jail under her full legal name, Eva Jacqulyn Espinosa. If convicted on both counts, she faces up to 30 years in prison.
The charges stem from Kissimmee's Business Boost 2.0 programme, a COVID-19 relief initiative launched under Espinosa's administration. An audit conducted by the office of Florida's chief financial officer, Blaise Ingoglia, identified three businesses — a dance production studio, a diner and a real estate company — allegedly owned or controlled by Espinosa or members of her immediate family, which collectively received $50,000 in grant funds through the programme. According to the state attorney general's office, the businesses applied for the grants on the first day applications opened in September 2025.
"This is the local government equivalent of insider congressional stock trading," Ingoglia said at a press briefing on Wednesday.
Uthmeier was more direct in his assessment of the alleged conduct. "The evidence makes very clear that there was intent to engage in this conflict of interest that ultimately abused her office to enrich herself," he said. "Mayor Espinosa demonstrated an intent to create, streamline and simplify, reduce oversight of and more easily enable a process whereby herself and immediate family could apply for and receive city funds to which she was not entitled."
Espinosa's attorney, Migdalia Perez, rejected the characterisation. "This case involves a publicly approved grant programme administered by City staff, not a secret scheme to steal taxpayer money," Perez said in a statement to ABC News. She added that the prosecution must establish criminal intent and argued there is "a fundamental difference between an alleged ethics violation and a criminal offence." The mayor "maintains her innocence," Perez said, and the defence intends to challenge the allegations "vigorously in court."
Espinosa has served as Kissimmee's mayor since November 2024, and her term is scheduled to run through 2028. Under city rules, an arrested mayor retains their seat unless formally suspended, removed or resigned. Vice Mayor Angela Eady will carry out mayoral duties at City Commission meetings and ceremonial events during Espinosa's absence, the city confirmed.
City Manager Mike Steigerwald has authorised an internal investigation into the Business Boost 2.0 programme in the wake of the arrest. The city said the review will examine how the programme was designed, administered and overseen, and whether policies and procedures for awarding grants were followed and remain adequate.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)