Kissimmee mayor Jackie Espinosa charged with theft and fraud over city grants

Two days after Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa was arrested on theft and fraud charges, some local business owners are reacting to the allegations involving a city grant program created to help small businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.Luz Diaz, owner of Blooming Nails in Kissimmee, said the program helped her business after she applied last year. Diaz said the city approved her application and awarded her a $10,000 grant within about two weeks.“It was helpful to me. I was able to pay for things that I had pending to pay for. I was able to anticipate things that I had in mind to do in the business,” Diaz said through a translation from Spanish.The city launched Business Boost 2.0 in September 2025. The program provided financial assistance to qualifying small businesses affected by the pandemic.Related-- Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa urges voting after release from jailAccording to the city’s website, applications are currently paused because of high demand. Businesses must