Ginger Bowden Madden, State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit of Florida, announces on December 11, 2025, the Honorable Judge Simon sentenced Defendant, Jesse Lacoste, to 10 years state prison followed by 5 years probation.
A jury found Jesse Lacoste guilty of grand theft over $20,000 and contractor fraud over $20,000 after a two-day trial in October. Defendant is also ordered to pay $506,435.81 in restitution to the victim in this case and is prohibited from working in the construction industry.
Defendant submitted a contractor license application with fraudulent information and omissions. Defendant then used this fraudulently obtained license and other contractual misrepresentations to obtain over $157,000 in funds from a Victim. Defendant received money in excess of the value of the work performed, appropriated the money for his own purposes, and then
abandoned the victim’s residential construction.
Assistant State Attorney Robert Paul Gillespie tried the case on behalf of State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden. Former ASAs Mikeala Ziko and Russ Edgar assisted with the prosecution, along with the dedicated Economic Crime paralegals and staff. Please contact ASA Gillespie at (850) 595-4200 with any questions.
