Crime
Cantonment Contractor Jesse LaCoste Convicted of Racketeering and Fraud in $2 Million Scheme
An Escambia County jury convicted former Cantonment contractor Jesse LaCoste of racketeering and organized fraud in a multi-million-dollar scheme that defrauded dozens of Northwest Florida homeowners, subcontractors, and suppliers, including several victims of Hurricane Sally.
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An Escambia County jury has found former Cantonment contractor Jesse Wayne LaCoste guilty of racketeering and organized fraud following a multi-year pattern of criminal activity that left dozens of Northwest Florida property owners, subcontractors, and suppliers with more than $2 million in combined losses.
The six-person jury deliberated for less than an hour before returning guilty verdicts on Thursday, Aug. 27. LaCoste, 34, was convicted of racketeering under Florida’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and organized fraud involving amounts exceeding $50,000. Both offenses are first-degree felonies in Florida, each carrying a statutory maximum penalty of 30 years in state prison. Chief Judge John Simon scheduled sentencing for Monday, Aug. 31, where LaCoste could face up to 60 additional years behind bars.
LaCoste is already serving a 10-year state prison sentence handed down in December 2025 following a separate grand theft and contractor fraud conviction in Escambia County.
Why it matters here
For communities across Pensacola, Cantonment, Pace, Milton, and broader Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, the verdict represents a major milestone in enforcing the rule of law within the local construction industry. Northwest Florida residents have repeatedly faced the daunting task of rebuilding after severe weather events, leaving them reliant on the integrity of licensed contractors.
When fraudulent operators exploit homeowners during vulnerable recovery periods or siphon funds from legitimate subcontractors and suppliers, they erode trust in the free market and inflict severe financial distress on working families and local business owners. The swift conviction reinforces that fraudulent business practices and the abuse of licensing standards carry serious legal accountability in Florida courts.
Background of the multi-million dollar scheme
The criminal charges stem from an extensive investigation into LaCoste’s businesses, including LaCoste Construction Group and LaCoste General Contractors. An Escambia County grand jury indicted LaCoste in November 2023, charging that between June 2018 and August 2022, he operated an enterprise marked by forgery, perjury, false official statements, theft, and insurance fraud.
Prosecutors demonstrated that LaCoste routinely accepted substantial upfront payments from clients for residential renovations, post-storm repairs, and commercial construction projects, only to perform minimal demolition or partial work before abandoning the jobs. The scheme generated more than $2 million in losses across dozens of victims, including property owners, insurance carriers, building material suppliers, and trade subcontractors who were left unpaid.
Impact on Hurricane Sally victims and local businesses
A significant portion of the prosecution’s evidence centered on projects initiated in the wake of Hurricane Sally, which struck the Gulf Coast in September 2020. Several property owners testified about the financial and emotional toll of dealing with unfinished properties.
- David Pohlman: Testified during the trial that he paid LaCoste approximately $61,000 for storm repairs to his Pensacola home while he was frequently traveling to Atlanta to care for his severely injured adult daughter.
- Valerie Schofield: Reported paying LaCoste $35,000 to complete storm-related repairs on her home, work that was never finished.
- Tyler and Anjelica Wynn: Paid LaCoste hundreds of thousands of dollars to construct a Pensacola float-spa facility. The venture endured years of construction delays and steep supplemental costs before finally opening.
The state’s racketeering case built upon patterns established in earlier proceedings. In October 2025, an Escambia County jury convicted LaCoste of grand theft and contractor fraud after homeowner Max Monastra paid more than $145,000 for a residential remodeling project. LaCoste’s crews demolished portions of the residence but never completed the contracted work.
Fraudulent licensing records
The state also established that LaCoste obtained his contractor credentials through fraudulent submissions. During trial proceedings, local construction industry executives testified that LaCoste had falsified qualifying work experience on official application paperwork.
Mark Spitznagel, owner of Landmark Engineering, testified that LaCoste had never been employed by his firm and that Spitznagel had never signed the experience verification documents submitted to licensing authorities. Similarly, Chad Clark, owner of Atlas Builders Group, testified that LaCoste never worked for Atlas and that Clark’s signature on application forms had not been authorized.
State regulatory bodies have since taken action. Florida licensing records list LaCoste’s registered general contractor license as revoked. In 2023, the Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board imposed formal disciplinary measures against him, including license revocation, administrative penalties, and an order to pay $17,000 in restitution.
Defense arguments rejected by jury
Taking the witness stand in his own defense, LaCoste denied intentional wrongdoing and maintained that he had intended to finish every project his company accepted. He attributed project disruptions to external factors, including a six-week jail stay in 2021 stemming from a child-custody dispute. LaCoste further claimed that business associates Blaine Flynn and Kevin Stevens eventually pushed him out of LaCoste Construction Group, arguing he did not exercise exclusive control over the business accounts.
Defense attorney Todd Early argued that prosecutors had failed to prove criminal intent beyond a reasonable doubt, characterizing the issues as contractual and operational disputes rather than deliberate racketeering. The jury rejected the defense after brief deliberations, finding LaCoste guilty on all counts.
Broader legal fallout and next steps
LaCoste continues to face additional unresolved contractor-related criminal cases across Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties involving similar allegations of uncompleted work and misappropriated client funds. In related regional proceedings, LaCoste’s brother-in-law, contractor Matthew Banks, has faced racketeering charges involving allegations exceeding million across more than 150 victims.
At the upcoming Monday sentencing hearing, Chief Judge Simon will determine whether LaCoste’s new prison term will run consecutively or concurrently with his existing 10-year sentence. While criminal accountability has been secured in court, restitution and financial recovery remain an ongoing challenge for the dozens of homeowners and commercial clients impacted across Northwest Florida.
Sources
- Jury Convicts Cantonment Contractor Jesse Wayne LaCoste Of Racketeering, Fraud : NorthEscambia.com
- Jesse LaCoste convicted of grand theft, contractor fraud for ‘intentional plan to deceive’
- Matt Banks’ brother-in-law ready for racketeering trial in alleged contractor scheme | Florida Tort Reform
- Jesse LaCoste on trial for racketeering, organized fraud in Pensacola – Pensacola News Journal
- Escambia County jury convicts Jesse LaCoste of contractor fraud, theft – WEAR-TV
- Matt Banks’ brother-in-law ready for racketeering trial in alleged contractor scheme – Pensacola News Journal
- Pensacola contractor Jesse LaCoste indicted on two charges, faces up to 60 years in prison – WEAR-TV
- TOP STORIES – NorthEscambia.com
- WEAR-TV – Pensacola contractor Jesse LaCoste indicted on two charges
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.
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