Fraud in Miami-Dade County, Florida
1,417 cases (2025) · Miami-Dade County courts
Updated September 2026 · 2025 data
Miami-Dade's fraud caseload in 2025 (1,418 cases) dwarfed most other counties, reflecting the region's size and economic complexity. Diversion programs resolved 34% of cases, more than five times the statewide 6.5% rate. Guilty verdicts occurred in just 40% of cases, the lowest among large counties, while withheld adjudication reached 24%. This mix suggests Miami-Dade's State Attorney prioritizes diversion and accepts high case attrition, possibly reflecting prosecutorial discretion favoring program-based resolution.
Defendants entering formal sentencing faced steep penalties: median jail sentences of 330 days with average probation exceeding 3.5 years. Nearly 31% were incarcerated in jail or prison. Counsel was nearly evenly split between public defenders and private attorneys at 48% and 46%, indicating a more economically diverse defendant population than most Florida counties.
Citing these figures? Attribution line and monthly data pack.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Fraud charge in Miami-Dade County makes it in front of a judge. Of 16,207 prosecutor decisions on Fraud charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 43.2% — 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 — 40.0% of 1,417 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 1,417 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 | 841 | 5.6 months |
| State Prison Facility | 596 | 3.1 years |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: Fraud sentencing in Miami-Dade County.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Fraud in Miami-Dade County?
The guilty rate is 40.0% based on 1,417 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Fraud in Miami-Dade County?
Adjudication is withheld in 24.1% 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 Miami-Dade County?
Among convictions that included confinement, the average sentence is 1 year, 12 months, with an average fine of $448 (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
47.4% of defendants use a public defender, while 46.5% 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 | 933 | 36.8% | 0.4% |
| Black | 466 | 47.4% | 0.6% |
| Asian | 12 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence (confined) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,377 | 47.2% | 0.4% | 1 year, 6 months |
| 2024 | 1,268 | 37.5% | 0.6% | 1 year, 3 months |
| 2025 | 1,417 | 40.0% | 0.5% | 1 year, 12 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 | 2,661 |
| Misdemeanor | First Degree | 549 |
| Felony | Second Degree | 508 |
| Felony | First Degree | 257 |
| Misdemeanor | Second Degree | 63 |
| NULL | NULL | 24 |
Related Charges in Miami-Dade County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 4,568 | 20.8% | 47.2% |
| Larceny / Theft | 4,727 | 65.2% | 0.5% |
| Drug Possession | 2,849 | 65.8% | 0.7% |
| Resisting Officer | 2,016 | 52.2% | 2.1% |
| Battery | 1,905 | 46.0% | 1.9% |
| Burglary | 1,192 | 69.1% | 1.0% |
| Traffic Offense | 1,104 | 56.7% | 5.5% |
| Weapons Offense | 679 | 71.7% | 4.4% |
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Fraud in Miami-Dade County, Florida (2025). Based on 1,417 public court records; last updated September 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/fraud/miami-dade
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Miami-Dade 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 · 1,417 cases (2025) · Data last updated September 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com