Kissimmee mayor arrested on grand theft and fraud charges

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrest of Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa on Wednesday, charging her with grand theft and an organized scheme to defraud, according to FOX 35 Orlando and WKMG News 6 ClickOrlando.

The arrest followed an investigation by a special prosecutor earlier this year that found probable cause for impeachment proceedings related to alleged ethics violations involving COVID-19 relief funds and undisclosed conflicts of interest tied to businesses owned by Espinosa's family, as reported by FOX 35 Orlando.

Despite the special prosecutor's findings, the Kissimmee City Commission voted in August against proceeding with impeachment articles against Espinosa, according to FOX 35 Orlando. It remains unclear if the current charges are directly connected to those earlier allegations.

Florida Attorney General Uthmeier praised the work of his auditing team and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for uncovering the alleged misuse of taxpayer dollars. He emphasized that public service should not be self-serving and that Espinosa will now have to answer for her actions, WKMG News 6 ClickOrlando reported.

A press conference was scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Attorney General's office in Orlando to provide further updates, with Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia and FDLE Commissioner Mark Keefe expected to speak, according to both FOX 35 Orlando and WKMG News 6 ClickOrlando.

Espinosa's attorney released a statement maintaining her client's innocence, arguing the case involves a publicly approved grant program and that criminal intent must be established for the charges to hold, WKMG News 6 ClickOrlando reported.