Fraud in Lee County, Florida
271 cases (2025) · Lee County courts
Updated September 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, Lee County convicted 79.0% of 271 fraud defendants with minimal exits from the system. Only 0.4% were dismissed compared to the statewide rate of 1.9%, and diversion programs resolved just 1.1% of cases versus 6.4% statewide. Adjudication withheld affected 15.1%, below the statewide average of 19.4%, indicating Lee pursues fraud convictions aggressively.
Convicted defendants faced heavy consequences. The median sentence was 270 days with 25.5% imprisoned and 42.1% jailed—67.6% incarcerated overall, among the highest for fraud charges. Probation averaged 1,194 days, the longest in Florida. This concentrated incarceration combined with sustained probation reflects Lee County's toughest-on-fraud stance, particularly impacting the large public defender population (17.7%), suggesting resource-constrained defendants absorbed the harshest outcomes.
Citing these figures? Attribution line and monthly data pack.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Fraud charge in Lee County makes it in front of a judge. Of 2,111 prosecutor decisions on Fraud charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 49.2% — 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 — 79.0% of 271 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 271 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 (confined) |
|---|---|---|
| County Jail | 274 | 4.5 months |
| State Prison Facility | 157 | 3.8 years |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: Fraud sentencing in Lee County.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Fraud in Lee County?
The guilty rate is 79.0% based on 271 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Fraud in Lee County?
Adjudication is withheld in 15.1% 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 Lee County?
Among convictions that included confinement, the average sentence is 1 year, 8 months (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
17.7% of defendants use a public defender, while 8.1% retain private counsel (2025).
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 | 170 | 81.2% | 0.6% |
| Black | 97 | 74.2% | 0.0% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence (confined) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 238 | 81.1% | 0.8% | 1 year, 6 months |
| 2024 | 218 | 89.9% | 0.0% | 1 year, 9 months |
| 2025 | 271 | 79.0% | 0.4% | 1 year, 8 months |
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 | 398 |
| Misdemeanor | First Degree | 254 |
| Felony | Second Degree | 43 |
| Felony | First Degree | 17 |
| Misdemeanor | Second Degree | 15 |
Related Charges in Lee County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Offense | 4,155 | 67.9% | 0.2% |
| Drug Possession | 2,127 | 78.6% | 0.1% |
| DUI | 1,320 | 98.9% | 0.2% |
| Larceny / Theft | 999 | 83.0% | 0.7% |
| Resisting Officer | 700 | 85.0% | 1.9% |
| Battery | 717 | 74.2% | 2.8% |
| Trespassing | 481 | 85.0% | 5.8% |
| Other | 490 | 73.7% | 1.4% |
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Fraud in Lee County, Florida (2025). Based on 271 public court records; last updated September 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/fraud/lee
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Lee 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 · 271 cases (2025) · Data last updated September 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com