Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa was arrested on Oct. 21 and charged with grand theft and organized fraud after authorities allege she improperly used $50,000 in COVID-19 relief funds intended for small businesses. The charges stem from her administration of the Kissimmee Business Boost 2.0 program, which she created and funded to support local businesses recovering from the pandemic.
Espinosa was booked into the Osceola County Jail under her full name, Eva Jacqulyn Espinosa, and faces one count of grand theft and one count of defrauding to obtain property, both classified as first- and second-degree felonies. According to jail records, the grand theft charge involves an amount exceeding $20,000 but less than $100,000.
State Attorney General James Uthmeier accused Espinosa of violating state law by allegedly using her position to enrich herself, her husband, and family members through the program. Uthmeier stated during a press conference that the evidence suggests intentional conflict of interest and abuse of office. Espinosa’s family owns several local businesses, including Adanse Real Estate Gallery, Matador Tacos and Tapas, and Empresas Espinosa, as well as the Kissimmee Diner at the time of the applications.
Espinosa’s attorney, Migdalia Perez, denied the allegations, asserting that the program was publicly approved and administered by city staff. In a statement, Perez argued that the case involves an ethics violation, not a criminal offense, and emphasized that prosecutors must prove criminal intent beyond a reasonable doubt. She stated, “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.”
Espinosa, who has served as mayor since November 2024, was handcuffed outside her home and taken to jail, where she remained in custody as of the afternoon of her arrest. The charges follow an investigation into the administration of the Kissimmee Business Boost 2.0 program, which Espinosa submitted applications for on the first day it opened.
The case is ongoing, and further details are expected to be provided by state officials, including Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia and Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Larry Keefe, during a scheduled press conference.