Kissimmee mayor Jackie Espinosa arrested on grand theft, fraud charges, AG says

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Kissimmee mayor Jackie Espinosa was arrested early Wednesday morning on charges of grand theft and fraud tied to $50,000 in COVID-era grants that were awarded to her and/or businesses owned by her family members, officials said.

Kissimmee mayor Jackie Espinosa arrested for grand theft, fraud

What we know:

In 2025, the City of Kissimmee launched the "Business Boost 2.0 (BB2) Grant Program," which provided financial grants between $5,000 and $20,000+ to small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Florida Attorney's Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement allege that Espinosa, as mayor, helped create and expand the program, then applied for $50,000 in grants for businesses connected to her or her family members, and ignored ethical concerns raised by staff members.

What they're saying:

"Public officials do not get to write the rules and then write themselves a check," said Attorney General James Uthmeier in a statement.

"The mayor used her position to push a COVID relief grant program, then took $50,000 from it for her family’s businesses after being warned it was prohibited. Florida taxpayers funded that money to help small businesses recover, not to enrich the mayor who controlled it. Since we established our public integrity unit, we've worked quickly to hold corrupt officials accountable — more to come."

"The voters put their trust in their public officials to do what is best for their community, not what is best for themselves," said Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia in a statement.

 "Jackie Espinosa abused that trust and cashed in at the taxpayers’ expense. It is called public service for a reason, not self-service. When I took office, I promised I would root out waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption and today I am fulfilling that promise for the people of Kissimmee."

The other side:

Migdalia Perez, of Perez Lasure Law, who represents Jackie Espinosa released the following statement to FOX 35 shortly after her arrest:

"My office represents Mayor Espinosa and what I can tell you at this juncture is that Mayor Espinosa maintains her innocence. This case involves a publicly approved grant program administered by City staff, not a secret scheme to steal taxpayer money.

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 proving every element of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt.

We intend to challenge these allegations vigorously in court. Mayor Espinosa deserves the presumption of innocence, not a presumption of guilt because she has been arrested."

Spokesperson for the City of Kissimmee and the Kissimmee Police Department deferred to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).

Kissimmee mayor is at the center of multiple ethics investigations

The backstory:

In June, a court-appointed special prosecutor said it found probable cause that Espinosa had likely violated ethics law by applying for grants through the Business Boost 2.0 program, and recommended Kissimmee City Commissioners consider filing articles of impeachment against her.

In August, the Kissimmee City Commission voted not to file articles of impeachment.

In September, the Florida Commission on Ethics said it found probable cause of potential ethics violations against Espinosa, which would then be considered at an evidentiary hearing.

NewsFlorida