Orlando Commissioner Regina Hill pleads not guilty in elder-abuse arrest

Orlando City Commissioner Regina Hill, a fierce advocate for the city’s downtrodden, is facing explosive charges of elder exploitation and fraud that could mean the rest of her life in prison after a grand jury indicted her on multiple felony counts.

Hill, 58 and first elected in 2013, pleaded not guilty Thursday and posted $40,000 bond following her morning arrest. The case centers on her relationship with a 96-year-old constituent in her downtown-area district, which burst into public view last week when an Orange County judge issued an injunction barring her from accessing the elderly woman’s bank accounts and homes, which Hill had taken control of.

“Ms. Hill effectively betrayed the trust of her community by taking advantage of a 96-year-old elderly citizen, which is one of the most vulnerable in that community,” said Lee Massie, Assistant Commissioner for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, at an afternoon press conference. “A victim who was the last of her family in the area was manipulated and lied to. Her finances and personal information were misused and abused for Ms. Hill’s personal benefit. Obviously, extremely tragic.”

The grand jury indictment returned in Orange County on Wednesday indicates Hill, a Democrat, faces three charges of elder exploitation, two counts of identity fraud and single counts of mortgage fraud and scheming to defraud of at least $50,000. She could face 180 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

Hill so far has offered no direct response to the allegations against her, and did not speak in a brief court appearance at Orange County jail. Her lawyer, James Smith, said the words “not guilty” on her behalf.

But in a statement to Spectrum News 13 on Thursday, Hill spoke of her deep affection for the alleged victim — whom the Orlando Sentinel is not naming.

“It’s unfortunate that I have been thrust into these circumstances with these allegations. Unfortunate not just for me, but for [the alleged victim] whom I’ve loved and cared for like my own family,” the statement reads. “After 10 years of service for the City of Orlando, I’ve illustrated my love and compassion for my constituents, my city, and my family and I consider [alleged victim] family.”

Hill has been ordered not to return to three houses owned or co-owned by the elderly woman on Domino Drive, Lewis Court and Mahalia Place, all of which are a focus of the ongoing FDLE investigation, which has been underway for more than a year. Hill is further prohibited from using any money from accounts tied to the victim.

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The criminal case will be jointly prosecuted by Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution and the Office of the State Attorney, Ninth Judicial Circuit.

State officials released nothing detailing their allegations against Hill Thursday, though they offered a short overview in the press conference, and the grand jury indictment itself was sparse.

But civil court filings connected with the injunction against Hill — obtained by a family friend on the elderly woman’s behalf — allege Hill met the woman in 2021, soon gained power of attorney over her, and over time drained the woman’s bank accounts of about $100,000 to pay for home renovations, expensive perfumes, clothing, a facelift and a hotel room in Miami. Hill allegedly lived in the woman’s house on Lewis Court along with her son and his girlfriend, and bought a house on Domino Drive with the help of the woman’s financial resources.

The woman lived in a third house, on Mahalia Court.

“Hill moved into a vacant home that the victim had inherited from her family and then used the victim’s personal finances to pay for renovations on that home while the victim’s primary residence where she lived remained in disrepair,” FDLE Special Agent in Charge John Vecchio said at the press conference.

Court records say the woman has cognitive disabilities as well as impairments to her vision or hearing and other age-related health concerns. Her mental state is already an issue in the civil case, with the woman’s advocates saying she had no understanding of the documents she signed giving power of attorney to Hill, and Hill contending in a court filing Wednesday that the woman lacked the capacity to knowingly sign papers taking Hill’s power of attorney away.

A hearing in the civil matter is scheduled for April 5 at 9 a.m. where both the injunction and Hill’s response are to be considered.

A lawyer representing the woman and Adriane Alexander, who now holds the woman’s power of attorney, declined to comment on the arrest, but expressed gratitude for the community’s support.

“It is comforting to know that there are so many people truly care about [the alleged victim’s] wellbeing and the wellbeing of seniors,” said John Martino, an attorney with the nonprofit Community Legal Services.

“We would direct any future offers of support to email SupportAMC@clsmf.org. CLS will direct them to the appropriate channels.”

In Orlando Wednesday, before the grand jury indictment was known, Gov. Ron DeSantis indicated he would suspend Hill from office if she were indicted. But by Thursday evening, DeSantis hadn’t formally weighed in on the developing situation. His office didn’t immediately respond to an email.

The city of Orlando was informed of Hill’s arrest Thursday, and said that if she’s suspended, they’d move to fill her seat on the city council through a special election. City code outlines a swift process for that.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said he is already in talks with the Supervisor of Elections Office to set a date for a new commissioner to be selected in the event Hill is removed from office by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The city charter outlines that open seats be filled by special election within 45 days of the removal of a commissioner.

“It’s extremely unfortunate,” Dyer said. “I don’t know anything more than what’s been reported in terms of the allegations that are obviously concerning.”

Sentinel reporter Annie Martin contributed to this story.

Regina Hill arrested: Read the grand jury indictment

This is a developing story, please check back for updates.