Latest Headlines
- FDLE Warrant Details Arrest Of Cantonment Man On Multiple Felony Child Sexual Abuse Material Charges
- Molino Community Center, Library, Museum Closed For The Next Week For Floor Work
- Boil Water Notice Issued In The Teleran, Kingsfield, Chemstrand Area
- Century Approves Tentative $8.48 Million Budget, Steady Property Tax Revenue
- Tate High AJROTC Honors The Lives Lost On 9/11
- Register Now For October 2 Northview Homecoming Parade
- Escambia Postal Worker Pleads Guilty To Stealing Marijuana From Mail Packages
- Firefighters Battle Logging Equipment, Brush Fire Deep In Wooded Area Near Walnut Hill
- Blue Wahoos Eliminated From Playoffs In 8-3 Loss To Shuckers
- Deputies Search Cottage Hill Property In Connection With Active Missing Person Case
Jury Convicts Cantonment Contractor Jesse Wayne LaCoste Of Racketeering, Fraud
August 28, 2026
For a sentencing update, click here.
A six-person jury deliberated for less than one hour Thursday before convicting embattled contractor Jesse Wayne LaCoste of Cantonment on charges of racketeering and organized fraud over $50,000.
Jurors found LaCoste guilty under Florida’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, as well as organized fraud, for using his company, LaCoste Construction Group, to defraud dozens of area homeowners out of $2 million between 2018 and 2022.
Chief Judge John Simon is scheduled to sentence LaCoste on Monday.
Both counts are first-degree felonies, each carrying a maximum penalty of 30 years in state prison. Depending on Simon’s ruling at sentencing, LaCoste could face up to 60 additional years behind bars.
LaCoste is already serving a 10-year state prison sentence following a 2025 conviction for grand theft and contractor fraud.
Court records indicate LaCoste still faces additional trials across Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties on accusations of taking payments from clients and failing to complete the work.
Comments
10 Responses to “Jury Convicts Cantonment Contractor Jesse Wayne LaCoste Of Racketeering, Fraud”
Why can’t they freeze assets and pay back the people he scammed? Even if he put all he got in his wife’s name. If you sell stolen stuff – it’s still considered stolen and whoever bought it has to give it back
@BillT Looks like LaCoste scammed you too. Hope you come back to reality, sir! He’s getting what he asked for. He did the crime all on his own. Matt Banks got jealous and did the same thing….all on his own, as well.
@Bill T, witch hunt? This was an open and shut case with no doubt that LaCoste was guilty. That’s why it took the jury less that an hour to reach a verdict. I could almost see your point if there were only one or two victims. That could be considered poor money management. But dozens of victims? That shows intent. He knew what he was doing and he needs to pay the price for it.
This guy needs more time…it’s unfortunate for the folks this guy stole from…him and his brother matt banks…who owes me money…should never see the light of day…great job jury…now we hope judge does the right thing and lock him up throw away key
Sadly nobody will ever get a dime back from this sack of trash. He was able to hide assets and stash cash while waiting for his court dates so a good hunk will be waiting for him when the bubba’s finish him up.
GREAT JOB Prosecutors. He got EXACTLY what he deserved. I don’t see how he can sit their and proclaim his innocence after he robbed these clients of their hard earned money. He and his brother in law(Matt Banks) deserve to be under the jail for all the robbing they did to these poor clients. It gives the honest builders a black eye. Im hoping they give them the maximum sentence. Just how they lived lavish lifestyles on other peoples stolen money is enough not to feel sorry for them. Lock him up and lose the key.
Hopefully he will get sentenced consecutively on all counts at the minimum. In a perfect world, he should get life, period. His victims will suffer financially for the rest of their lives, so he should suffer as well.
Some people can’t help themselves committing crimes like SCAMMING people and confusing them to hand over hard earned cash. They live a glamorous life while numerous individuals like Seniors suffer and blame themselves. Lacoste and his fellow scammers deserve prison. Glad Justice is served but those people are still suffering from this. Now it’s his turn to suffer.
GOOD!!!! Maybe his brother in law will be next to go down
I’ve followed this witch hunt and progressively it gotten worse for this man !! I truly don’t believe this was all his fault and don’t believe he should be getting all the blame for this !! If you take a good look at what’s happening here you will see they got to blame someone and unfortunately it’s Jesse !! Say what you may but this system is more crooked than this man could ever be I guarantee it !!!!!