Florida Rep. Carolina Amesty turned herself into Orange County Jail on Thursday, a day after a grand jury indicted her on forgery charges.
Amesty, a 29-year-old Republican from Windermere who represents District 45, was indicted on charges of forgery, uttering a forgery, false acknowledgement or certification by a notary public, and notarizing her own signature.
In a media release, the State Attorney’s Office for the Ninth Judicial Circuit stated that the charges against Amesty are “connected to evidence showing she knowingly notarized a document with a forged signature in 2021 while serving as an administrator at Central Christian Academy, a nonprofit school run by her family.”
All four charges, which stem from the alleged misuse of Amesty’s notary commission, are third-degree felonies.
According to State Attorney Andrew Bain, a “concerned citizen” notified his office of Amesty’s “potential criminal wrongdoing,” which prompted an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
The information gathered during FDLE’s investigation was recently presented to an Orange County grand jury, and “sufficient evidence” was found to return an indictment.
Amesty is currently being held at Orange County Jail, where she will receive an appropriate bond amount in accordance with law.
In 2022, Amesty was elected to represent Florida House District 45.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.