Fraud in Pasco County, Florida

Fraud prosecutions in Pasco County result in conviction at notably high rates. With a 71.7 percent guilty verdict rate, Pasco exceeds the statewide pattern where adjudication is withheld in nearly one in five cases. Pasco's withheld rate of 14.6 percent sits well below Florida's 19.7 percent average, meaning fewer defendants here avoid formal conviction records through that outcome. Dismissals are rare in Pasco fraud cases at just 0.4 percent, falling 1.9 percentage points below the statewide average of 2.3 percent. However, Pasco does utilize diversion programs at 12.5 percent—above the statewide 7.1 percent—suggesting the local State Attorney prioritizes allowing some defendants to resolve cases outside the traditional conviction process.

Defendants convicted of fraud in Pasco face substantial sentences, with an average of 884 days and a median of 731 days, plus probation averaging over three years. Just over one-third face confinement: 24 percent serve prison time and 13.8 percent serve jail time. Public defenders represent the majority of fraud defendants at 58.5 percent, while 25.7 percent retain private counsel. Average fines remain modest at $131.75, suggesting restitution or other financial obligations may be addressed separately in fraud cases.