ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando Commissioner Regina Hill issued a statement Friday, a day after she was arrested on several charges, including exploitation of the elderly/disabled.
Hill, 58, is accused of exploiting a 96-year-old woman and taking more than $100,000 from her, according to an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Her statement on Friday addressed the arrest and allegations:
It’s unfortunate that I have been thrust into these circumstances with these allegations. Unfortunate not just for me but for (the 96-year-old woman) , whom I’ve loved and cared for like my own family. I trust in God above all things, and I trust in the process. After ten years of service for the City of Orlando, I’ve illustrated my love and compassion for my constituents, my city, and my family. I know the truth; I know I’m entitled to due process, in which I trust, and I will await my day in court to prove my innocence.
Regina Hill
Hill appeared in court Thursday for the seven charges she faces. She bonded out of jail on $40,000.
Court documents uncovered by News 6 show that FDLE was investigating whether Hill established a power of attorney over the woman and secured a mortgage for a home in the Lake Mann Estates area of Orlando, without the woman’s knowledge.
Investigators believe Hill’s son and his girlfriend live in the home, while Hill resides in a home in the Washington Shores neighborhood that once belonged to the elderly woman’s parents — and was not paying rent.
“Mrs. 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,” FDLE Assistant Commissioner Lee Massie said during a news conference. “A victim who was the last of her family in the area was manipulated and lied to, her finances and personal information misused and abused for Hill’s personal benefit. Obviously extremely tragic.”
According to the documents, Hill also allegedly used more than $100,000 of the woman’s cash and credit cards to buy perfume, clothing, IV vitamins, a facelift, a trip to Miami, dental surgery and car insurance.
The city of Orlando on Thursday said it was aware of the arrest of Hill, who has been re-elected twice and is currently in her third term, which ends in 2026.
When asked about Hill’s future as a commissioner, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s office said in a statement, “We do not have any authority to discipline an elected official, including suspending them from office, as that power lies with the governor.”
If Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis were to suspend Hill, the city would work with the Supervisor of Elections to hold a special election to temporarily fill the District 5 city commission seat.
Before Hill was elected in 2014, Hill had been in and out of jail on a variety of charges, including possession of marijuana in 2005, when she was sentenced to six months of probation. In 2000, Hill was found guilty of disorderly intoxication.
Hill also was also arrested multiple times in Orange County on charges of possession of illegal substances, although many of those charges were dropped.
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