Fraud in Collier County, Florida
159 cases (2025) · Collier County courts
Updated July 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, Collier County prosecuted 159 fraud cases with limited court exits. Guilty verdicts reached 70.4%, with 17.0% withheld adjudication and 11.9% diverted—above the statewide 6.5% diversion rate. However, zero dismissals occurred, meaning prosecutors denied outright case rejection. Collier emphasizes conviction or diversionary program completion, with no middle ground of record-free withheld adjudication as frequently offered in Broward.
Sentenced defendants faced 749 days average confinement, 1,138 days probation. Prison incarceration was high at 21.4%, with 26.4% jailed. Representation was relatively balanced: 46.5% private counsel, 52.2% public defenders. Unlike Santa Rosa or Manatee, Collier's fraud defendants typically had counsel. The combination of high prison rates and no dismissals reflects fraud's seriousness and Collier's less-forgiving posture than Broward, despite comparable diversion investment.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Fraud charge in Collier County makes it in front of a judge. Of 930 prosecutor decisions on Fraud charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 44.7% — above the 33.7% statewide rate. These decisions happen early in a case, before trial.
Source: Florida Department of Law Enforcement, State Attorney case data (2023-2025). Rates are per charge, not per defendant — a dropped charge often reflects a plea agreement on another charge in the same case, not the case going away. Percentages are of charges receiving a prosecution decision; transfers between courts are excluded. Court outcome data on this page is a separate dataset covering cases that reached disposition. Statewide charging patterns: The Florida Prosecution Report.
Outcome Breakdown (2025)
Exhibit · Case outcomes (2025)
Largest outcomeGuilty — 70.4% of 159 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 159 cases · 2025 — FloridaCourtFile.com
Sentencing Breakdown (2025)
Exhibit · Sentencing when convicted (2025)
Confinement-type detail below is computed across all available years (2023-2025).
| Confinement Type | Count | Avg Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| County Jail | 140 | 5.6 months |
| State Prison Facility | 101 | 3.2 years |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: Fraud sentencing in Collier County.
Counsel Analysis (2025)
Demographics (2025)
Demographic data reflects systemic patterns in the criminal justice system and should not be used to draw conclusions about any racial or ethnic group. Disparities may reflect differences in policing, prosecution, and socioeconomic factors rather than actual crime rates.
| Race | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 118 | 70.3% | 0.0% |
| Black | 39 | 74.4% | 0.0% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 190 | 78.9% | 0.0% | 1 year, 6 months |
| 2024 | 163 | 73.0% | 0.0% | 1 year, 4 months |
| 2025 | 159 | 70.4% | 0.0% | 2.1 years |
Quarterly detail
Quarterly figures recompute from monthly disposition counts; quarters with fewer than 30 cases are suppressed.
Charge Level Breakdown
| Level | Degree | Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Felony | Third Degree | 351 |
| Misdemeanor | First Degree | 120 |
| Felony | Second Degree | 29 |
| Misdemeanor | Second Degree | 9 |
| Felony | First Degree | 3 |
Related Charges in Collier County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Offense | 1,564 | 62.5% | 0.3% |
| Other | 1,234 | 43.4% | 29.3% |
| Drug Possession | 896 | 69.5% | 0.0% |
| DUI | 679 | 99.1% | 0.0% |
| Larceny / Theft | 501 | 58.5% | 0.4% |
| Battery | 371 | 56.1% | 0.3% |
| Resisting Officer | 387 | 68.7% | 0.0% |
| Sex Offense | 402 | 99.0% | 0.0% |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Fraud in Collier County?
The guilty rate is 70.4% based on 159 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Fraud in Collier County?
Adjudication is withheld in 17.0% of cases (2025). This is a Florida-specific outcome where the court finds guilt but does not formally convict, allowing the defendant to avoid a conviction record under FL Statute 948.01.
What is the average sentence for Fraud in Collier County?
The average sentence is 2.1 years, with an average fine of $217 (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
52.2% of defendants use a public defender, while 46.5% retain private counsel (2025).
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Fraud in Collier County, Florida (2025). Based on 159 public court records; last updated July 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/fraud/collier
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Collier County. "Guilty" includes all cases where the defendant was found guilty. "Adjudication withheld" is a Florida-specific disposition where guilt is found but the court withholds formal adjudication under FL Statute 948.01. "Dismissed" includes all cases dismissed by the court or prosecution.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 159 cases (2025) · Data last updated July 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com