Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa Arrested on Grand Theft and Fraud Charges Amid Scrutiny of COVID Grants

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa was arrested Wednesday morning on charges of grand theft and organized scheme to defraud, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced.

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," Uthmeier wrote.

He said his office would hold a news conference at 2 p.m. at its Orlando office with Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia and Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Larry Keefe to give more details.

State officials have not released information about the alleged conduct, the amount of money involved or the time period covered by the charges.

Traffic stop near her home

Espinosa was pulled over shortly after 8 a.m. as she drove away from her home, according to WFTV. The station said she was asked to get out of her car and was handcuffed. WFTV reported that it had been looking into an ongoing FDLE investigation involving the mayor.

It was not clear Wednesday morning whether Espinosa had an attorney. Efforts to reach her were not immediately successful. She is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Grant program under scrutiny

The arrest follows months of scrutiny over Kissimmee's BOOST 2.0 grant program, which used federal COVID-19 relief money to help local businesses.

Earlier this year, a special prosecutor investigating possible ethics violations found probable cause to pursue impeachment proceedings against Espinosa. The investigation alleged that she took part in city commission votes to fund and expand the program without disclosing that businesses owned by her family received money from it.

In August, the Kissimmee City Commission split 2-2 on whether to start an impeachment trial, so the effort failed. Espinosa did not vote.

In September, the Florida Commission on Ethics found probable cause to believe Espinosa may have had a prohibited contractual relationship with an entity doing business with the city. According to WFLA, businesses connected to her and relatives received about $50,000 in city grants.

Authorities have not said whether Wednesday's charges are related to the grant program or the earlier ethics findings.

About the charges

Under Florida law, grand theft generally applies to property worth $750 or more. The penalties increase with the amount involved.

Organized scheme to defraud refers to a systematic, ongoing plan to obtain property through false or fraudulent representations. It is usually used in cases involving a pattern of conduct, not a single transaction.

The severity of both charges depends on the value of the property involved. Officials are expected to provide those details at Wednesday's news conference.

Mayor's background

Espinosa has been mayor of Kissimmee since November 2024, according to the city's website. She had run for mayor in 2020 and for the Osceola County Commission in 2022 before winning in 2024.

Kissimmee, about 20 miles south of Orlando, is the county seat of Osceola County and has about 80,000 residents. The city has one of Central Florida's largest Hispanic populations.

The mayor is a voting member of the five-member city commission and serves as the city's ceremonial leader. The city manager oversees day-to-day operations.

What happens next

Florida law allows the governor to suspend local elected officials who are charged with felonies. Gov. Ron DeSantis has used that power before when local officials faced criminal charges. There was no immediate word Wednesday on whether he would act in Espinosa's case.

City leaders had not commented publicly on the arrest as of Wednesday morning. It was not clear who would lead commission meetings while the case proceeds.

The participation of the state CFO and FDLE commissioner in the news conference suggests a joint investigation into how public money was handled. Ingoglia's office oversees state finances and accountability for public funds.