Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa Arrested on Grand Theft and Fraud Charges Over 0,000 in Relief Grants

Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa Arrested on Grand Theft and Fraud Charges Over $50,000 in Relief Grants

Pulled Over After Leaving Home Just After 8 A.M.

Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa was arrested on Wednesday morning, October 21, 2026, according to Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. WFTV reported that law enforcement stopped her shortly after 8 a.m. as she drove away from her home, and that she was handcuffed and taken into custody. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement made the arrest, Orlando Weekly reported, and she was booked into the Osceola County Jail. WESH 2 confirmed with jail officials that Espinosa was on her way to the jail.

Attorney General Announces Two Felony Charges on Social Media

Uthmeier announced the arrest in a post on X: "This morning, we arrested Kissimmee mayor Jackie Espinosa and are charging her with Grand Theft and Organized Scheme to Defraud." He said the attorney general's office would hold a press conference at 2 p.m. at its Orlando office, joined by Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia and the FDLE commissioner.

Booking Records Put the Theft Between $20,000 and $100,000

According to booking records at the Osceola County Jail, Espinosa faces a grand theft charge involving property valued between $20,000 and $100,000, plus a charge of defrauding someone to obtain property. WFTV had been reporting on the ongoing FDLE investigation into the mayor.

Three Grants, $50,000 Total, From Federal COVID Relief Funds

Much of the reporting points to the city's "Business Boost 2.0" small business relief grant program as the backdrop. The program was approved by city commissioners, including Espinosa herself, in 2025, and it draws on American Rescue Plan Act money intended to help local businesses hurt during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Three Family Businesses Absorbed the Entire $50,000

Rio Times reported that three grants totaled $50,000: $20,000 to Adanse LLC, her own company; $15,000 to Kissimmee Diner Inc., a restaurant business in which she holds an interest; and $15,000 to a third family-owned business. All three are downtown Kissimmee companies operated by her family.

Special Prosecutor Recommended Referral to Law Enforcement in July

The Orlando Sentinel reported that a July report from court-appointed Special Prosecutor Mayanne Downs found probable cause that the mayor took part in official actions to fund and expand the small-business grant program while three businesses tied to her and her family collected money from it. Downs recommended the city refer the matter to law enforcement.

Ethics Panel Weighs Censure and a $2,000 Fine

The Florida Commission on Ethics found that Espinosa violated three of seven ethics violations. In September she agreed to a resolution calling for a public censure and reprimand along with a recommended $2,000 civil penalty, subject to approval by the full commission. The panel is scheduled to meet Friday, October 23, at 8:30 a.m. in Tallahassee to act on the recommendation.

A 2-2 Deadlock Killed the Impeachment Push

In August, the Kissimmee City Commission split 2-2 on whether to begin an impeachment trial, so the effort failed; Espinosa did not vote on it. Florida Politics noted that her term runs to 2028, having taken office in November 2024.

Attorney Says an Ethics Violation Is Not a Crime

In a statement, Espinosa's attorney Migdalia Perez said: "The prosecution must establish that the mayor acted with criminal intent. We firmly maintain that she did not. There is a fundamental difference between an alleged ethics violation and a criminal offense. The state cannot transform one into the other without providing every element of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt." Her lawyer also said the grant program was publicly approved and administered by city employees.

CFO Says Public Service Should Not Be Self-Service

CFO Ingoglia posted that he was proud of the work by his auditing team and the Criminal Investigations Division, adding: "Public service should never be self-service, and Jackie Espinosa will now have to answer for taking from the taxpayers."

CFO Ingoglia posted that he was proud of the work by his auditing team and the Criminal Investigations Division, adding: "Public service should never be self-service, and Jackie Espinosa will now have to answer for taking from the taxpayers." The Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight, overseen by Ingoglia, had been looking into the allegations that family businesses received money through the BOOST 2.0 program.

Arraignment Awaits, and Friday's Commission Vote

Espinosa remains held at the Osceola County Jail, with any bond decision left to a judge at her first appearance. The 2 p.m. press conference was expected to clarify whether the criminal charges are formally tied to the $50,000 in grants. Friday's ethics commission meeting will decide the final public censure and $2,000 penalty.