Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa charged with grand theft from COVID relief program

Alibeth Suarez: Alibeth Suarez serves as spokesperson for the city of Kissimmee. She stated that city operations continue normally under the city manager amid the mayor's legal proceedings. Suarez noted the city's readiness to follow its charter process if any suspension of the mayor occurs. James Uthmeier: James Uthmeier is the Florida State Attorney General responsible for the charges against Mayor Jackie Espinosa. He stated that the evidence shows clear intent to engage in a conflict of interest and abuse of office to enrich herself and her family. Uthmeier addressed the allegations during a press conference following the arrest. Migdalia Perez: Migdalia Perez is the attorney representing Jackie Espinosa in the criminal case. She maintains that the matter involves a publicly approved grant program administered by city staff and denies any criminal intent by her client. Perez has highlighted the distinction between an alleged ethics violation and a provable criminal offense. Blaise Ingoglia: Blaise Ingoglia is Florida's Chief Financial Officer, who oversees the state's financial services and directed the audit of the city's pandemic funding. His team identified irregularities in the Boost program tied directly and indirectly to the mayor, prompting further investigation. Ingoglia was present with law enforcement during the mayor's arrest. Jackie Espinosa: Jackie Espinosa is the mayor of Kissimmee, Florida, elected in 2024. She created, funded, expanded, and promoted the Kissimmee Business Boost 2.0 program intended to support small businesses recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. In this case, she is charged with grand theft and organized fraud for allegedly awarding relief funds to herself, her husband, and family members through applications submitted on the program's first day. Ethics Probe: A separate state ethics investigation found Espinosa violated three ethics rules, prompting an impeachment vote by the city commission that later deadlocked. Government Operations: The city of Kissimmee continues regular business under its Council-Manager form of government, with no reported impacts from the mayor's arrest. Program Administration: The Kissimmee Business Boost 2.0 program was administered by city staff as a publicly approved initiative for small business recovery.