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Florida State Rep. Carolina Amesty indicted on forgery charges

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Published  August 29, 2024 8:32pm EDT
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FOX 35 Orlando

Florida Rep. Amesty indicted on forgery charges

Florida State Rep. Carolina Amesty has been indicted on charges of forgery allegedly linked to her time as an administrator at her family's non-profit school.

Florida State Rep. Carolina Amesty has been indicted on charges of forgery allegedly linked to her time as an administrator at her family's non-profit school.

An Orange County Grand Jury indicted Rep. Amesty on Wednesday on four charges – forgery, uttering a forgery, false acknowledgment or certification by a notary public, and notarizing your own signature, the Florida State Attorney Andrew Bain's Office revealed Thursday. 

Rep. Amesty turned herself into the Orange County Jail on Thursday, where she was booked on those charges, Bain's Office said. She was later released after posting bond. She was escorted to a waiting vehicle and did not answer reporters' questions.

"A concerned citizen brought potential criminal wrongdoing to our attention, and in line with our obligation to investigate fairly and without bias, we requested a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation and thoroughly reviewed the facts and evidence of the case. That information was presented to the grand jury who found sufficient evidence to return an indictment," State Attorney Andrew Bain said in a statement. 

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According to the State Attorney's Office, the FDLE's investigation centers around Amesty and her family's nonprofit school, Central Christian Academy. Amesty previously worked there as an administrator, according to the State Attorney's Office. 

Rep. Amesty allegedly notarized a document with a forged signature in 2021.

"There's no issue relating to the representative's service in government. It's about a notarization on a form, and that's what the issue is, in this case," said attorney John Lauro outside the jail.

"We expect to have a trial, to be fully vindicated, a full acquittal when all the evidence is heard."

Rep. Amesty has not personally commented on the indictment or the allegations. FOX 35 has reached out. She did not comment while being escorted out of jail.

Rep. Amesty, a Republican, represents District 45, which includes parts of Orange and Osceola counties. According to her online biography, she was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2022. She is 

The Florida Democratic Party called for Rep. Amesty to resign following the indictment.

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