Leslie Acosta

{{Short description|American politician (born 1971)}} {{BLP one source|date=April 2016}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = | name = Leslie Acosta | state_house = Pennsylvania | district = 197th | term_start = {{start date|2015|1|6}}<ref>{{cite periodical |date=January 6, 2015 |title=New Members Introduced |url=http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/HJ/2015/0/20150106.pdf |work=House Legislative Journal |version=199th of the General Assembly |number=1 |publisher=Pennsylvania General Assembly}}</ref> | term_end = {{end date|2017|1|3}} | predecessor = Jose Miranda | successor = Emilio Vazquez | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|7|7}} | birth_place = Puerto Rico | death_date = | death_place = | party = Democratic | alma_mater = Cairn University | occupation = | spouse = | children = | website = }}

'''Leslie Acosta''' (born July 7, 1971) is a former Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives representing the 197th House district in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is the daughter of former state representative Ralph Acosta and the first Latina elected to the Pennsylvania Legislature.<ref name="convict"/>

Acosta graduated from Jules E. Mastbaum Area Vocational Technical School in Philadelphia. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in social work and theology at Cairn University in Langhorne, Pennsylvania.

In September 2016, it was reported Acosta pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor charge of conspiring to commit money laundering in connection with an embezzlement scheme. Her crimes were committed between 2002 and 2012, before she took public office, in relation to the prosecution of Renee Tartaglione, sister of state Senator Christine Tartaglione, who is charged with embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from a publicly funded clinic for low income patients. Acosta's mother, Sandy Acosta, also pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the stolen funds.<ref>{{cite news | publisher = NBC 10 Philadelphia | date = July 12, 2018 | title = Philadelphia Politico Renee Tartaglione Sentenced 7 Years in $1M Mental Health Clinic Fraud | agency = Associated Press | url = https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/philadelphia-politico-renee-tartaglione-sentenced-7-years/2065616/}}</ref>

Acosta pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering for her role in embezzling money from a not-for-profit organization. She was sentenced to 7 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $623,000.<ref>{{cite press release |author=U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania |date=June 28, 2018 |title=Leslie Acosta Sentenced to 7 Months in Federal Prison for Participation in Conspiracy that Looted Money from Nonprofit |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/leslie-acosta-sentenced-7-months-federal-prison-participation-conspiracy-looted-money |publisher=United States Department of Justice |location=Philadelphia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Roebuck |first=Jeremy |date=June 28, 2018 |title=Ex-State Rep. Leslie Acosta sentenced to 7 months in career-ending case |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/philadelphia/pa-rep-leslie-acosta-sentence-7-months-judge-joel-slomsky-renee-tartaglione-20180628.html |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Acosta's guilty plea remained under seal, and by the time the guilty plea became known, it was past the deadline to find a replacement candidate.<ref name="convict">{{cite news|url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/politics/20160917_State_rep_has_a_secret__She_s_a_convict.html|title=State rep has a secret: She's a convict|last=Roebuck|first=Jeremy|date=September 16, 2016|newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer|accessdate=September 16, 2016|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Facing the prospect of being automatically stripped of her seat upon sentencing (Pennsylvania, like most states, does not allow convicted felons to hold office), Acosta resigned at the beginning of January 2017, shortly after being reelected to a second full term. A special election was held in March to fill her office.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/house_bio.cfm?districtnumber=197 PA House profile] *[http://www.pahouse.com/acosta Official Party website] {{CongLinks |votesmart=150689}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Acosta, Leslie}} Category:American politicians of Puerto Rican descent Category:Hispanic and Latino American people in Pennsylvania politics Category:Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in Pennsylvania Category:Living people Category:Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Category:Cairn University alumni Category:Hispanic and Latino American women in politics Category:Women state legislators in Pennsylvania Category:1971 births Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:21st-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly