The mayor of Kissimmee, a city in central Florida, managed to avoid an impeachment trial but found herself in handcuffs instead.
Jackie Espinosa, originally from New Jersey, was elected as mayor in 2024, partly thanks to support from some Democrats. She was arrested on Wednesday morning, facing serious charges: one count of a first-degree felony for organized schemes to defraud amounts over $50,000 and a second-degree felony count of grand theft over $20,000 but under $100,000, as indicated by the Osceola County charging affidavit.
The mayor has faced mounting accusations for months—that she benefited personally from the Business Boost 2.0 program, a COVID-19 relief grant initiative she promoted and helped establish in September 2025. This program, allegedly reliant on federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, has come under scrutiny.
A resident, Alex Alemi, lodged a complaint in March claiming that after Espinosa advocated for this program, three of her family-owned businesses—Adanse LLC, Kissimmee Diner Inc., and Real Estate Gallery LLC—were awarded grants from Business Boost 2.0. Reports indicate that she and her family received at least $50,000 from the grants.
In a conversation with the Orlando Sentinel in May, Espinosa acknowledged that three out of her thirteen businesses secured a grant but asserted that the federal funds had been available prior to her mayorship.
Additionally, the complaint suggested that the city’s former attorney, Olga Sanchez de Fuentes, was dismissed for raising concerns regarding the grants. She was let go with a 3-1 vote from the city commission in February, a decision Espinosa supported but later clarified was a collective one, not solely hers.
As public frustration grew, a months-long impeachment effort emerged against Espinosa. However, it came to a halt in August when the city commission was deadlocked on the decision to proceed with an impeachment trial.
The issue didn’t vanish along with the vote. Last month, the Florida Commission on Ethics announced it had found probable cause regarding Espinosa’s involvement with an entity doing business with her agency while her business accepted grant money from the same agency.
In subsequent weeks, a local station reported that Espinosa agreed to a $2,000 fine and a public reprimand, with the reprimand process still pending. Following this, she expressed her wish to move past the situation to focus on serving Kissimmee’s community effectively.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier emphasized the state’s commitment to holding corrupt officials accountable during a recent press conference, noting that the evidence suggested Espinosa had a clear intent to violate proper conduct and, as such, had abused her position for personal gain.
Blaise Ingoglia, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, alleged that family-run businesses linked to Espinosa secured approximately $90,000 in grant funds and stated that direct and indirect amounts totaled $90,000. He reiterated the importance of public service being about serving the public, not about self-interest.
If found guilty, Espinosa could face up to 30 years in prison.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Larry Keefe remarked on the significance of holding public officials accountable, stressing that failing to do so could erode public trust in all officials, particularly those acting with integrity. Espinosa’s office has not provided an immediate comment regarding the situation.
