Orlando City Commissioner Regina Hill was arrested after being indicted by a grand jury on charges related to elder exploitation and fraud, it was announced earlier this morning.
Commissioner Hill, who has been in office since 2013, has been the subject of a state investigation for over a year for her relationship with a 96-year-old constituent and for taking roughly $100,000 from the unnamed woman’s accounts. The charges were detailed in an injunction filed last week that we wrote about HERE. The indictment includes:
- EXPLOITATION OF ELDERLY PERSON OR DISABLED PERSON >$50,000 (Breach Power of Attorney) (F1-L8)
- EXPLOITATION OF ELDERLY OR DISABLED PERSON >450,000 (Position of Trust and Confidence) (F1-L8)
- EXPLOITATION OF ELDERLY OR DISABLED PERSON >450,000 (Intentionally or Negligently Misuse) (F1-L8)
- SCHEME TO DEFRAUD OF $50,000 OR MORE (F1-L7)
- FRAUDULENT USE OF PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION, OVER $100,000 (10-Year Minimum Mandatory) (F1-L7)
- FRAUDULENT USE OF PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION – Parent/Guardian/Custodian (F2-L9)
- MORTGAGE FRAUD (Greater than $100,000) (F2-L4)
Hill “fired back” at the injunction on Wednesday, March 27, claiming that the allegations were meant to steal power away from herself in favor of family members who were more at risk of exploiting the senior citizen than she was. However, at the time, she did not speak on the allegations that she had spent the woman’s money to buy one home, renovate another, and pay for a facelift, dental surgery, and more.
A press conference was held at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement offices in Parramore on Thursday, March 28, at 2 p.m. to confirm the investigation and subsequent arrest. Hill has since bailed out of Orange County Jail on a $40,000 bond and has pleaded not guilty
The City of Orlando shared the following statement with Bungalower earlier this afternoon.
“We have been made aware that Commissioner Hill has been arrested and charged by FDLE. We do not have any authority to discipline an elected official, including suspending them from office, as that power lies with the Governor. As additional background, if the Governor suspends Hill from office, pursuit to the city’s charter, we will work with the Supervisor of Elections to hold a special election to temporarily fill the district 5 city commission seat.“
Governor DeSantis has stated that he will be waiting to share a decision on the case until official charges had been filed.
“Bungalower and The Bus” co-host Jon Busdeker produced the following profile on Commissioner Hill eight years ago when he was working for Orlando Sentinel.
