A Florida mayor was arrested Wednesday on theft and fraud charges, according to the state’s attorney general.
Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa is being charged with grand theft and organized scheme to defraud, according to Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.
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.
Incoming Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa sits in Matador Tacos & Tapas Bar, which she owns, in Kissimmee, Fla., in 2023.
Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Espinosa’s attorney said the mayor “maintains her innocence” and that they plan to challenge the allegations “vigorously in court.”
“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.
“The prosecution must establish that the mayor acted with criminal intent. We firmly maintain that she did not,” Perez said. “There is a fundamental difference between an alleged ethics violation and a criminal offense. The State cannot transform one into the other without proving every element of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt.”
The booking photo for Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa.
Osceola County Corrections and Jail Services
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.
Espinosa has served as the mayor of Kissimmee since November 2024. Her term ends in 2028.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.