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Posted on 10/21/2026 4:52:25 PM PDT by Impala64ssa
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa was arrested Wednesday morning, according to Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.
Espinosa faces charges of grand theft and an organized scheme to defraud.
Uthmeier announced the arrest in a social media post.
According to Osceola County Jail records, Espinosa was booked into custody and is currently being held without bond on both charges.
AG Uthmeier speaks Uthmeier and other officials gathered for a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, where they accused her of enriching herself.
"If you are going to abuse your office, if you are going to abuse the public trust for family members, we will find you and hold you accountable," Uthmeier said.
He said Espinosa voted for a COVID grant program without making personal interests transparent, thus creating a conflict of interest.
“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," he said. "Florida taxpayers funded that money to help small businesses recover, not to enrich the mayor who controlled it."
The Business Boost 2.0 Grant Program is a federally funded COVID-19 relief initiative by the City of Kissimmee that offers non-repayable grants from $5,000 to $20,000 for small businesses.
"There is zero tolerance when it comes to public corruption," Uthmeier said.
perform mayoral duties in the absence of Mayor Espinosa at City Commission Meetings and ceremonial events.
City Operations
City services continue as normal. Kissimmee operates under a commission-manager form of government, in which the City Manager leads the City’s day-to-day operations and its more than 900 employees. Residents and businesses should continue to contact City departments as they normally would.
Internal Investigation
The City’s standing practice is to begin an internal investigation once an arrest has been made or upon conclusion of a related criminal investigation, so as not to jeopardize the criminal case. Following the October 21 arrest of Mayor Espinosa, City Manager Mike Steigerwald authorized an internal investigation of the Business Boost 2.0 Program.
The investigation will establish how the Business Boost 2.0 Program was designed, administered, and overseen, and whether the City’s policies and procedures regarding the awarding of grants were followed and whether those policies and procedures are adequate."
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Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa was arrested
It is amazing how the wheels of justice do move slowly but they do move. This is another indication a change is happening but there is MUCH more to be done.
Would this have happened if the democrats had won?
LOL. Just maybe this no integrity criminal sociopath will receive Justice. What a pathetic nitwit loser.
“Ooh hoo hoo, Jackie Blue,
Lives her life from inside of her room
Makes you think that her life is a drag
Ooh, Jackie, what fun you have had!
Admittedly the article has uncommonly short paragraphs. Still, 26 paragraphs and no mention of party affiliation, so of course I knew her party. Confirmed by other sources. This is a nonpartisan office but of course she is a Democrat
Admittedly the article has uncommonly short paragraphs. Still, 26 paragraphs and no mention of party affiliation, so of course I knew her party. Confirmed by other sources. This is a nonpartisan office but of course she is a Democrat
Don’t mess with Florida.
A Democrat? Whoda thunk?
We should start a monthly DemCrooks list.
A smalls florida fish. This is NOT the arrests we need to see.
That thing that isn’t happening happened again.
Seems like a stretch, she approved a program and benefitted from it. Can a government official approve a tax cut that reduces their taxes? I’m missing something.
“Democrat” does not appear in the article. If it was a Republican, that would have been in the headline and in the first sentence.
Good news!!! Now, more arrests please...
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