Kissimmee, Florida Mayor Jackie Espinosa was arrested on Oct. 21, 2026, and charged with theft and fraud for allegedly using a COVID-19 small business relief program to appropriate $50,000 in funds for herself and her family.
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Numerous local and national relief programs were established in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many businesses to shut down. In September 2025, Kissimmee announced the launch of Business Boost 2.0, a grant program that offered local small businesses between $5,000 and $20,000 each.
If you’re a taxpayer, it’s understandably frustrating wondering whether your tax dollars are being misused. That’s why it’s important to understand how these sorts of cases progress.
Timeline of events
When the Business Boost 2.0 program launched, Espinosa was quoted, saying, “Our small businesses are the backbone of Kissimmee’s economy, and many are still feeling the lasting impacts of the pandemic.”
According to the state attorney general’s office, she and her family members allegedly applied for the program the same day that it launched…