KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa was arrested Wednesday on felony grand theft and fraud charges following an investigation into $50,000 in taxpayer-funded grants awarded to businesses owned or controlled by her family.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrest of Espinosa, whose full name is Eva Jacquelyn Espinosa, on October 21. Prosecutors allege she used her position as mayor to help establish and expand a city grant program before applying for and receiving funds through businesses connected to her family.
The investigation centers on Kissimmee’s Business Boost 2.0 program, which was funded through the federal American Rescue Plan Act and designed to provide financial assistance to small businesses recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Public officials do not get to write the rules and then write themselves a check,” Uthmeier said. “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.”
Investigators Detail $50,000 in Grant Payments
According to the arrest warrant, Espinosa took office in November 2024 and subsequently advocated for and voted on measures creating and expanding the city’s Business Boost 2.0 program.
When applications opened in September 2025, Espinosa and members of her immediate family submitted applications for three businesses they owned or controlled, seeking a combined $50,000.
The applications were approved, and the funds were deposited into accounts linked to the Espinosa family on November 7, 2025, investigators said.
On December 5, 2025, the city attorney informed Espinosa that accepting the grant money created a prohibited conflict of interest and advised her to return the funds.
According to prosecutors, Espinosa declined to return the money and indicated she would challenge any complaint filed against her. Investigators subsequently reviewed bank records confirming the deposits.
The arrest warrant alleges Espinosa helped shape the program’s application process and reduce oversight in ways that made it easier for her family’s businesses to receive city funds.
The allegations have not been proven in court.
Previous Ethics Investigation
Espinosa’s arrest follows months of scrutiny surrounding the grant payments.
In July, a court-appointed special prosecutor found probable cause to pursue impeachment proceedings against Espinosa over alleged ethics violations involving the grant program.
An effort to advance impeachment proceedings stalled in August after Kissimmee city commissioners deadlocked in a 2-2 vote.
The Florida Commission on Ethics subsequently found probable cause in a complaint involving the mayor’s financial relationship with businesses receiving city grants.
Mayor Faces Two Felony Charges
Espinosa faces one count of grand theft involving $20,000 to $100,000, a second-degree felony, and one count of organized scheme to defraud involving $50,000 or more, a first-degree felony.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Florida Department of Financial Services Criminal Investigations Division.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia said state auditors helped identify the alleged misuse of public funds.
“The voters put their trust in their public officials to do what is best for their community, not what is best for themselves,” Ingoglia said. “Jackie Espinosa abused that trust and cashed in at the taxpayers’ expense.”
FDLE Commissioner Larry Keefe also credited investigators and state financial auditors for their work on the case.
Espinosa’s attorney, Migdalia Perez, has maintained that the mayor is innocent, arguing that the grants were publicly administered and that potential ethics violations do not automatically establish criminal wrongdoing.
The case will be prosecuted in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit by Richard Mantei, special counsel for the Florida Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution Public Integrity Unit.
The attorney general’s office has released the redacted arrest warrant and supporting affidavit outlining the allegations.
Espinosa is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
