Florida mayor charged with fraud and grand theft over misappropriating $50K in Covid relief funds

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.

A city attorney wrote a warning in December 2025 that the $50,000 Espinosa and her family received created a conflict of interest.

Complaints were filed against Espinosa in two different venues: the Florida Commission on Ethics on Feb. 26, 2026, and the Kissimmee City Commission on March 17.

Then, in April 2026, the Kissimmee City Commission held a vote regarding the complaints against Espinosa. The commission voted to appoint a special prosecutor, who would have 30 days to decide what steps to take next.

The next roadblock came in early May 2026, when Espinosa’s attorneys filed a petition arguing that the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court didn’t have the authority to investigate the complaints. Instead, the petition contended, the issue needed to be routed through the Florida Commission on Ethics.

Nearly a month later, that request was denied. Then, in July 2026, special prosecutor Mayanne Downs issued a report saying that she had found probable cause to pursue impeachment, writing, “The BOOST 2.0 program was created to help Kissimmee’s small businesses survive a pandemic, not to enrich the official who controlled it.”

The impeachment vote was held on Aug. 18, 2026. It ended 2-2, meaning the city would not pursue the issue further.

The Florida Commission on Ethics then ruled in September that there was probable cause that Espinosa had created a conflict of interest.

After many months, Espinosa was arrested on Oct. 21, 2026.