Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa’s arrest Wednesday follows months of investigation into allegations involving COVID-19 relief grants awarded to businesses connected to her family.
Court documents show prosecutors relied heavily on findings from a special prosecutor who recommended impeachment and called for the case to be referred to law enforcement for possible criminal prosecution.
News 6 Investigator Troy Campbell first questioned Espinosa about the ethics complaint in March, shortly before a Kissimmee City Commission meeting.
[WATCH: Kissimmee mayor arrested on theft, fraud charges, AG says]
The complaint was filed by Kissimmee resident Alexander Alemi, who raised concerns about the February termination of former City Attorney Olga Sanchez De Fuentes.
Alemi said he filed the complaint because he believed public officials should be held accountable.
The City Commission voted to refer the complaint to the Ninth Judicial Circuit for investigation.
In May, commissioners voted to pause ethics investigations after the new city attorney raised concerns about the cost of the investigation into Espinosa. The special prosecutor was charging taxpayers $475 an hour, according to the information presented during the meeting.
On July 23, the special prosecutor released her findings and recommended impeachment.
The report focused on the city’s Boost 2.0 COVID-19 relief grant program, which Espinosa helped create.
According to the findings, Espinosa and her family received $50,000 from the first $375,000 awarded through the program, accounting for about 13% of the total.
The special prosecutor also recommended referring her findings to law enforcement agencies, including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the state Chief Financial Officer’s Office.
[WATCH: Kissimmee mayor says she will accept a formal reprimand after ethics dispute]
On Wednesday, those agencies announced criminal charges against Espinosa.
Her arrest warrant also included text messages between Sanchez De Fuentes and current City Manager Mike Steigerwald. In one message, Steigerwald appeared to express support for Espinosa’s position, writing, “I do see her point though, it’s kinda unfair.”
News 6 contacted Steigerwald’s office Thursday and left a voicemail and sent an email seeking comment.
Campbell also contacted Sanchez De Fuentes through information listed on The Florida Bar’s website and her current law firm’s website. News 6 left her a voicemail and sent an email requesting comment.
The released arrest documents raise questions about whether other city officials could face consequences related to the investigation. It remains unclear whether any additional officials will face disciplinary action or termination.
News 6 will continue to follow the case as it moves through the legal process.