PENSACOLA, Fla. — A jury convicted former Pensacola contractor Jesse LaCoste on Thursday of racketeering and organized fraud over $50,000.
The jury deliberated for approximately one hour.
LaCoste will be sentenced on Monday for the first-degree felonies. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in state prison.
LaCoste is already serving 10 years in state prison after being convicted last year of contractor fraud and theft.
Court records show LaCoste is still facing trial in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties in cases that accuse him of failing to complete work after his clients had paid.
These frauds exploit emotional vulnerability and trust rather than technical weaknesses.
- Romance Scams: Scammers build long-term online relationships with victims, eventually fabricating a “crisis” (medical emergency, legal trouble, or travel costs) that requires the victim to send money.
- Pig Butchering: A hybrid scam where the criminal builds a romantic or platonic relationship to eventually “tutor” the victim in a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment.