{"id":367946,"date":"2026-10-21T13:28:17","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T18:28:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/mayor-of-kissimmee-florida-arrested-on-grand-theft-and-fraud-charges-state-ag"},"modified":"2026-10-21T13:28:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T18:28:20","slug":"mayor-of-kissimmee-florida-arrested-on-grand-theft-and-fraud-charges-state-ag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/mayor-of-kissimmee-florida-arrested-on-grand-theft-and-fraud-charges-state-ag","title":{"rendered":"Mayor of Kissimmee, Florida, arrested on grand theft and fraud fees: State AG"},"content":{"rendered":"


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A Florida mayor was arrested Wednesday on theft and fraud charges, according to the state’s attorney general.<\/p>\n

Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa is being charged with grand theft and organized scheme to defraud, according to Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.<\/p>\n

Uthmeier did not release additional details on the nature of the charges. He is set to hold a news conference Wednesday afternoon with Florida’s chief financial officer, Blaise Ingoglia, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Larry Keefe to provide more information, he said on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\"Blaise<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>
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Incoming Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa sits in Matador Tacos & Tapas Bar, which she owns, in Kissimmee, Fla., in 2023.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Willie J. Allen Jr.\/Orlando Sentinel\/Tribune News Service via Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Espinosa’s attorney said the mayor “maintains her innocence” and that they plan to challenge the allegations “vigorously in court.”<\/p>\n

“This case involves a publicly approved grant program administered by City staff, not a secret scheme to steal taxpayer money,” her attorney, Migdalia Perez, said in a statement to ABC News.<\/p>\n

“The prosecution must establish that the mayor acted with criminal intent.\u00a0We firmly maintain that she did not,” Perez said. “There is a fundamental difference between an alleged ethics violation and a criminal offense.\u00a0The State cannot transform one into the other without proving every element of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt.”<\/p>\n

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\"chief<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>
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The booking photo for Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Osceola County Corrections and Jail Services<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Espinosa, 58, was booked Wednesday morning into the Osceola County Jail under her full name, Eva Jacqulyn Espinosa, online jail records show. The grand theft charge involves an amount greater than $20,000 and fewer than $100,000, according to the jail records.<\/p>\n

Espinosa has served as the mayor of Kissimmee since November 2024. Her term ends in 2028.<\/p>\n

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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