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Florida Statute 817.34 - Full Text and Legal Analysis
Florida Statute 817.34 | Lawyer Caselaw & Research
Link to State of Florida Official Statute
F.S. 817.34 Case Law from Google Scholar Google Search for Amendments to 817.34

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XLVI
CRIMES
Chapter 817
FRAUDULENT PRACTICES
View Entire Chapter
817.34 False entries and statements by investment companies offering stock or security for sale.—Any person who shall knowingly subscribe to or make or cause to be made, any false statements or false entry in any book of any investment company or exhibit any false paper with the intention of deceiving any person authorized to examine into the affairs of any investment company, or shall make, utter or publish any false statement of the financial condition of any investment company, or the stock, bonds or other securities by it offered for sale, shall be guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
History.—s. 9, ch. 6422, 1913; RGS 5748; CGL 7975; s. 866, ch. 71-136.

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Amendments to 817.34


Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Arrestable Offenses / Crimes under Fla. Stat. 817.34
Level: Degree
Misdemeanor/Felony: First/Second/Third

S817.34 - FRAUD-FALSE STATEMENT - INVESTMENT COMP FALSE STMT FINANCL CONDITIONS - F: T

Cases Citing Statute 817.34

Total Results: 72  |  Sort by: Relevance  |  Newest First

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Omar Paez v. Claudia Mulvey, 915 F.3d 1276 (11th Cir. 2019).

Cited 187 times | Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

scheme to defraud in violation of Florida Statute § 817.034(4). Thus, there was no constitutional error in
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Florida Evergreen Foliage v. E.I. DuPont De Nemours & Co., 336 F. Supp. 2d 1239 (S.D. Fla. 2004).

Cited 25 times | Published | District Court, S.D. Florida | 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19264

allege state law violations (see Florida Statute § 817.034(b)), and mail and wire fraud claims, which allege
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Donovan v. State, 572 So. 2d 522 (Fla. 5th DCA 1990).

Cited 23 times | Published | Florida 5th District Court of Appeal | 1990 WL 179049

sentenced as follows: *525 Organized fraud, section 817.034(3), (4) Florida Statutes (1987): No sentence
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Williams v. Peak Resorts Intern. Inc., 676 So. 2d 513 (Fla. 5th DCA 1996).

Cited 14 times | Published | Florida 5th District Court of Appeal | 1996 WL 387423

I—violation of Florida's Communications Fraud Act, section 817.034, Florida Statutes (1991); (2) Count II—common
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Black v. State, 819 So. 2d 208 (Fla. 1st DCA 2002).

Cited 13 times | Published | Florida 1st District Court of Appeal | 2002 WL 1085251

violation of the Florida Communications Fraud Act, section 817.034(4)(a)1., Florida Statutes (1993). As predicate
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Sewall v. State, 783 So. 2d 1171 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001).

Cited 11 times | Published | Florida 5th District Court of Appeal | 2001 WL 394878

acquittal on the charge of organized fraud. Section 817.034(4)(a), Florida Statutes (1995), provides that
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Cherry v. State, 592 So. 2d 292 (Fla. 2d DCA 1991).

Cited 8 times | Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal | 1991 WL 272643

Organized Fraud 13 years' incarceration, § 817.034(4)(a)1, Fla. Stat. (1987) followed by 7 years'
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First Pac. Corp. v. Sociedade De Empreendimentos E Construcoes, Ltda., 566 So. 2d 3 (Fla. 3d DCA 1990).

Cited 7 times | Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal | 1990 Fla. App. LEXIS 3151, 1990 WL 58285

(1987), theft, Florida Communications Fraud Act, § 817.034, Fla. Stat. (1987), and common law fraud. SECL
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Pizzo v. State, 910 So. 2d 287 (Fla. 2d DCA 2005).

Cited 6 times | Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal | 2005 WL 1705237

Pizzo with organized fraud in violation of section 817.034(4)(a), Florida Statutes (1997), which provides
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Smith v. State, 76 So. 3d 1056 (Fla. 4th DCA 2011).

Cited 6 times | Published | Florida 4th District Court of Appeal | 2011 Fla. App. LEXIS 20325, 2011 WL 6372986

committing organized fraud, in violation of section 817.034(4)(a)1., Florida Statutes (2001). The state
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Young v. Moore, 820 So. 2d 901 (Fla. 2002).

Cited 5 times | Published | Supreme Court of Florida | 2002 WL 1065931

sentence for a first-degree felony violation of section 817.034(4)(a)1, Florida Statutes (1995), the Florida
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Rodriguez v. State, 956 So. 2d 1226 (Fla. 4th DCA 2007).

Cited 5 times | Published | Florida 4th District Court of Appeal | 2007 WL 1484955

Appellant was charged with a violation of section 817.034(4)(a)1., Florida Statutes (2003), which makes
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Beamon v. State, 23 So. 3d 209 (Fla. 4th DCA 2009).

Cited 5 times | Published | Florida 4th District Court of Appeal | 2009 Fla. App. LEXIS 18430, 2009 WL 4282075

constitutes an "organized fraud" within the meaning of § 817.034(4)(a), Fla. Stat. (2007).[2] In Pizzo v. State
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Taccariello v. State, 664 So. 2d 1118 (Fla. 4th DCA 1995).

Cited 5 times | Published | Florida 4th District Court of Appeal | 1995 WL 733378

organized scheme to defraud in violation of section 817.034(4)(a)(2), Florida Statutes, and exploitation
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Kipping v. State, 702 So. 2d 578 (Fla. 2d DCA 1997).

Cited 4 times | Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal | 1997 WL 721987

charged with a scheme to defraud pursuant to section 817.034(4)(a), Florida Statutes (1989), and twenty-two
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Ward v. Nierlich, 617 F. Supp. 2d 1226 (S.D. Fla. 2008).

Cited 4 times | Published | District Court, S.D. Florida | 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24860, 2008 WL 852789

[Count VII], § 772.103(4) [Count VIII], F.S. § 817.034 "Florida Communications Fraud Act" [Count IX][11]
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Louberti v. State, 895 So. 2d 479 (Fla. 4th DCA 2005).

Cited 4 times | Published | Florida 4th District Court of Appeal | 2005 WL 293021

The crime of scheme to defraud is defined in section 817.034(3)(d), Florida Statutes (1999): [A] systematic
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Winokur v. State, 605 So. 2d 100 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992).

Cited 4 times | Published | Florida 4th District Court of Appeal | 1992 WL 183983

misplaced, as both Donovan and Cherry concern section 817.034, Fla. Stat. (1987), the successor to section
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Rosen v. State, 757 So. 2d 1236 (Fla. 4th DCA 2000).

Cited 4 times | Published | Florida 4th District Court of Appeal | 2000 WL 484797

State charged appellant with violation of section 817.034(4)(a)1, Florida Statutes (1997), the Florida
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State v. Summerlot, 711 So. 2d 589 (Fla. 3d DCA 1998).

Cited 4 times | Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal | 1998 WL 186898

information with: 1) organized fraud in violation of section 817.034(4)(a)1, Florida Statutes (1991), and 2) contracting
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Holcomb v. State, 858 So. 2d 1112 (Fla. 2d DCA 2003).

Cited 3 times | Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal | 2003 WL 22438584

(holding a scheme to defraud in violation of section 817.034(4)(a)1, Florida Statutes (1995), was a true
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State v. Reyan, 145 So. 3d 133 (Fla. 3d DCA 2014).

Cited 3 times | Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal | 2014 WL 2755838, 2014 Fla. App. LEXIS 9214

organized scheme to de*135fraud (in violation of section 817.034, Florida Statutes (2003)) and grand theft (in
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Stafford v. Don Reid Ford, Inc., 920 So. 2d 791 (Fla. 5th DCA 2006).

Cited 3 times | Published | Florida 5th District Court of Appeal | 2006 Fla. App. LEXIS 2018, 2006 WL 358261

PLEUS, C.J. and MONACO, J., concur. NOTES [1] § 817.034(4)(a)1., Fla. Stat. (2005). [2] The civil action
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State v. Diaz, 814 So. 2d 466 (Fla. 3d DCA 2002).

Cited 3 times | Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal | 2002 WL 215864

schemes to defraud. 757 So.2d at 1238 (quoting § 817.034, Fla. Stat.). The court said, "An ongoing course
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State v. Cronin, 774 So. 2d 871 (Fla. 1st DCA 2000).

Cited 3 times | Published | Florida 1st District Court of Appeal | 2000 WL 1880209

independently criminalize general schemes to defraud. See § 817.034(4), Fla. Stat. (1997). We thus find no legislative
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Schneir v. State, 43 So. 3d 135 (Fla. 3d DCA 2010).

Cited 3 times | Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal | 2010 Fla. App. LEXIS 12414, 2010 WL 3324668

twelve year sentence for organized fraud under Section 817.034(4)(a)(l), Fla. Stat., committed pursuant to
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DeLuise v. State, 72 So. 3d 248 (Fla. 4th DCA 2011).

Cited 2 times | Published | Florida 4th District Court of Appeal | 2011 Fla. App. LEXIS 16079, 2011 WL 4808267

fraud is a sub-species of organized fraud. See § 817.034, Fla. Stat. As in Pizzo, all the elements of grand
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Certain Interested Underwriters at Lloyd's v. AXA Equitable Life Ins., 981 F. Supp. 2d 1302 (S.D. Fla. 2013).

Cited 2 times | Published | District Court, S.D. Florida | 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 159639, 2013 WL 5948107

Count 21, which charged a violation of Fla, Stat. § 817.034(4)(a). It alleged that Brasner had engaged in
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Cooks v. State, 249 So. 3d 774 (Fla. 1st DCA 2018).

Cited 2 times | Published | Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

engaging in a scheme to defraud in violation of section 817.034(4)(a), Florida Statutes. The charge was premised
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Saddler v. State, 921 So. 2d 777 (Fla. 1st DCA 2006).

Cited 2 times | Published | Florida 1st District Court of Appeal | 2006 WL 406958

February 13 and May 17, 2003, in violation of section 817.034(4), Florida Statutes (2003) (defining organized
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State v. Varnum, 991 So. 2d 918 (Fla. 4th DCA 2008).

Cited 2 times | Published | Florida 4th District Court of Appeal | 2008 WL 2986492

under the Florida Communications Fraud Act, section 817.034(3)(d), Florida Statutes (2004), and twenty-nine
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Dixon v. State, 584 So. 2d 195 (Fla. 5th DCA 1991).

Cited 2 times | Published | Florida 5th District Court of Appeal | 1991 WL 154821

concur. NOTES [1] U.S. Const. amend. V. [2] § 817.034(4)(a)2, Fla. Stat. (1989). [3] § 812.019(1),
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Darwish v. State, 937 So. 2d 789 (Fla. 2d DCA 2006).

Cited 1 times | Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal | 2006 WL 2621781

to defraud and obtaining property thereby, section 817.034(4)(a)(3), a third-degree felony (count two);
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O'KEEFE v. State, 47 So. 3d 937 (Fla. 4th DCA 2010).

Cited 1 times | Published | Florida 4th District Court of Appeal | 2010 Fla. App. LEXIS 17667, 2010 WL 4628512

committing organized fraud, in violation of section 817.034(4)(a)1., Florida Statutes (2001). The state
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Peterson v. Therma Builders, Inc., 958 So. 2d 977 (Fla. 2d DCA 2007).

Cited 1 times | Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal | 2007 WL 1452164

in an amount of $50,000 or more pursuant to section 817.034(4)(a)(1), Florida Statutes (2002). This criminal
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Sibley v. State, 955 So. 2d 1222 (Fla. 5th DCA 2007).

Cited 1 times | Published | Florida 5th District Court of Appeal | 2007 WL 1372676

entitled thereto. Donovan, 572 So.2d at 526 (citing § 817.034(4)(a), Fla. Stat.). Fraudulent use of personal
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State, Dept. of Legal Affairs v. Jackson, 576 So. 2d 864 (Fla. 3d DCA 1991).

Cited 1 times | Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal | 1991 WL 35330

fraudulent promise to furnish inside information"); § 817.034, Fla. Stat. (1989) ("Florida Communications Fraud
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Estano v. State, 595 So. 2d 973 (Fla. 1st DCA 1992).

Cited 1 times | Published | Florida 1st District Court of Appeal | 1992 WL 36300

connection with these petit theft offenses. Section 817.034, the "Florida Communications Fraud Act," defines
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Design Pallets, Inc. v. Grayrobinson, P.A., 515 F. Supp. 2d 1246 (M.D. Fla. 2007).

Cited 1 times | Published | District Court, M.D. Florida | 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 57005, 2007 WL 2274432

Fraud Plaintiffs allege violations of Fla. Stat. § 817.034(4)(a) and (b). First, Defendant argues that Plaintiffs
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State v. Joseph, 94 So. 3d 672 (Fla. 1st DCA 2012).

Cited 1 times | Published | Florida 1st District Court of Appeal | 2012 WL 3238352, 2012 Fla. App. LEXIS 13307

Government of $50,000 or more, in violation of section 817.034(4)(a)l., Florida Statutes (2008). Prior to
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State v. Just., 624 So. 2d 402 (Fla. 5th DCA 1993).

Published | Florida 5th District Court of Appeal | 1993 WL 372169

NOTES [1] See Fla.R.App.P. 9.140(c)(1)(B). [2] § 817.034(4)(a)(3), Fla. Stat. (1989). [3] §§ 812.014(1)
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State v. Cohn, 994 So. 2d 381 (Fla. 3d DCA 2008).

Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal | 2008 WL 4568034

East Everglades property. See § 817.034(3)(d), Fla. Stat.[1]; § 817.034(4)(a)(1), Fla. Stat.[2] It is
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Lewis v. State, 861 So. 2d 1177 (Fla. 2d DCA 2003).

Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal | 2003 Fla. App. LEXIS 18051, 2003 WL 22794437

Stat. (1999). . See § 817.034(4)(b)(l), Fla. Stat. (1999). .See § 817.034(4)(a)(3), Fla. Stat. (1999)
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Lewis v. State, 833 So. 2d 812 (Fla. 4th DCA 2002).

Published | Florida 4th District Court of Appeal | 2002 Fla. App. LEXIS 17136, 27 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. D 2520

act of communication, of communications fraud.” § 817.034(4)(b), Fla. Stat. (2001). Further, the stated
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Vicaria v. State, 743 So. 2d 644 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1999).

Published | District Court of Appeal of Florida | 1999 Fla. App. LEXIS 15153, 1999 WL 1038443

his guilty plea to a charge that he violated section 817.034, Florida Statutes (1995), by participating
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Bissell v. State, 605 So. 2d 878 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1992).

Published | District Court of Appeal of Florida | 1992 Fla. App. LEXIS 5816, 1992 WL 111375

one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering; § 817.034(4), two counts of organized fraud; § 517.07, thirty
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Russell v. State, 675 So. 2d 961 (Fla. 1st DCA 1996).

Published | Florida 1st District Court of Appeal | 1996 Fla. App. LEXIS 6230, 1996 WL 270828

“communications fraud.” § 817.034, Fla.Stat. (1987). Pursuant to section 817.034(4)(a), “[a]ny person who
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Lauren Eileen Carr v. State of Florida, 270 So. 3d 508 (Fla. 1st DCA 2019).

Published | Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

(enumerating elements necessary to prove violation of § 817.034(4)(a)). Therefore, the good-faith defense as to
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Bejerano v. State, 760 So. 2d 218 (Fla. 5th DCA 2000).

Published | Florida 5th District Court of Appeal | 2000 Fla. App. LEXIS 5695, 2000 WL 569673

§§ 895.02(4); 817.234(l)(a), Fla. Stat. ' . § 817.034(4)(a)(3), Fla. Stat. .§ 817.234(l)(a), Fla.
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Gomez v. State, 220 So. 3d 495 (Fla. 3d DCA 2017).

Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal | 2017 WL 1929685, 2017 Fla. App. LEXIS 6565

more), a first degree felony, in violation of section 817.034(4)(a)1,; and Counts 3-6: uttering a worthless
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Turner v. State, 159 So. 3d 279 (Fla. 2d DCA 2015).

Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal | 2015 Fla. App. LEXIS 2964, 2015 WL 895302

body of count one that Mr. Turner violated section 817.034(4)(a)(3) by obtaining property from the victim
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Jose Miguel Cebez v. Daniel Junior, Etc. (Fla. 3d DCA 2022).

Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal

defraud/$50,000 or more pursuant to section 817.034(4)(a)(1), Florida Statutes (Count 5).
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Demcak v. State, 616 So. 2d 519 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1993).

Published | District Court of Appeal of Florida | 1993 Fla. App. LEXIS 2997, 1993 WL 74944

SANDERS, E.P.B., Associate Judge, concur. . § 817.034(4)(a)3, Florida Statutes (1991). . Those unobjected
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Brooks v. State, 114 So. 3d 965 (Fla. 5th DCA 2012).

Published | Florida 5th District Court of Appeal | 2012 WL 874547, 2012 Fla. App. LEXIS 4209

organized fraud of $50,000 or more in violation of section 817.034(4)(a)(l), Florida Statutes. Thereafter, Brooks
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Johnson v. State, 126 So. 3d 1129 (Fla. 4th DCA 2012).

Published | Florida 4th District Court of Appeal | 2012 WL 2012147, 2012 Fla. App. LEXIS 9012

Communication fraud is a third degree felony. See § 817.034(4)(b)l, Fla. Stat. (2005). . Johnson successfully
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Metevier v. State, 675 So. 2d 260 (Fla. 2d DCA 1996).

Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal | 1996 Fla. App. LEXIS 6497, 1996 WL 339120

violation of the Florida Communications Fraud Act, section 817.034, Florida Statutes, and a first degree misdemeanor
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Kingland Estates, Ltd. v. Davis, 170 So. 3d 825 (Fla. 3d DCA 2015).

Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal | 2015 Fla. App. LEXIS 8785, 2015 WL 3609072

organized scheme to defraud charge ... involves section 817.034(4)(a) 1., Florida Statutes (2003), which provides
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Beal v. State, 713 So. 2d 1131 (Fla. 2d DCA 1998).

Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal | 1998 Fla. App. LEXIS 9700, 1998 WL 429127

C.J., and DAUKSCH and ANTOON, JJ., concur. . § 817.034(4), Fla. Stat. (1993).
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Lisa G. Miller v. the State of Florida (Fla. 3d DCA 2025).

Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal

thus constitutes a prima facie case of violating § 817.034(3).”).
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Wanner v. State, 667 So. 2d 427 (Fla. 2d DCA 1996).

Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal | 1996 WL 22928

PATTERSON and LAZZARA, JJ., concur. NOTES [1] § 817.034(4)(a)1., Fla. Stat. (1991). [2] § 812.014(2)(a)(b)(c)
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Omar Paez v. Claudia Mulvey (11th Cir. 2019).

Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

scheme to defraud in violation of Florida Statute § 817.034(4). Thus, there was no constitutional error in
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Petramale v. State, 79 So. 3d 162 (Fla. 2d DCA 2012).

Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal | 2012 WL 385481, 2012 Fla. App. LEXIS 1788

remanded. KELLY and LaROSE, JJ., Concur. NOTES [1] § 817.034(4)(a)(1), Fla. Stat. (2003). [2] There are multiple
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Dent v. State, 125 So. 3d 205 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013).

Published | Florida 4th District Court of Appeal | 2013 WL 440117, 2013 Fla. App. LEXIS 1846

organized scheme to defraud, in violation of section 817.034(4), Florida Statutes. The state charged and
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Armas v. State, 947 So. 2d 675 (Fla. 2d DCA 2007).

Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal | 2007 WL 283690

count) — aggregate value of $50,000 or more, section 817.034(4)(a)(1), a first-degree felony. • Criminal
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Peterson v. State, 974 So. 2d 1082 (Fla. 2d DCA 2007).

Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal | 2007 WL 283701

amount of $50,000 or more in violation of section 817.034(4)(a)(1), Florida Statutes (1994), a first-degree
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Joel De La Osa v. State, 158 So. 3d 712 (Fla. 4th DCA 2015).

Published | Florida 4th District Court of Appeal | 2015 Fla. App. LEXIS 2279, 2015 WL 669563

scheme to defraud charge in Count III involves section 817.034(4)(a)l., Florida Statutes (2003), which provides
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Batten v. State, 591 So. 2d 960 (Fla. 5th DCA 1991).

Published | Florida 5th District Court of Appeal | 1991 Fla. App. LEXIS 12124, 1991 WL 256206

upon the Florida Communications Fraud Act (Act), § 817.034, Fla.Stat. (1989). In Donovan v. State, 572 So
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McCray v. State, 121 So. 3d 603 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013).

Published | Florida 4th District Court of Appeal | 2013 WL 4007202, 2013 Fla. App. LEXIS 12335

organized scheme to defraud in violation of section 817.034(4)(a)(3), Florida Statutes (2006), and nine
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Allyn Vento v. The State of Florida (Fla. 3d DCA 2024).

Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal

BOKOR, JJ. PER CURIAM. Affirmed. See § 817.034(4)(a), Fla. Stat. (“Any person who engages in
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Jane Jeischa Aldana Perez, as Pers. Rep. of the Est. of Jhourdan Hernandez v. Gregory Tony as Sherriff of Broward Cnty. (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2024).

Published | District Court of Appeal of Florida

(1) organized fraud, in violation of section 817.034(4)(a)1., Florida Statutes (2022);
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Weaver v. State, 981 So. 2d 508 (Fla. 4th DCA 2008).

Published | Florida 4th District Court of Appeal | 2008 WL 859412

defraud less than $20,000 in violation of section 817.034(4)(a)3, Florida Statutes (2007).[1] We affirm
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Charlie Dennis Altman v. The State of Florida (Fla. 3d DCA 2023).

Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal

organized scheme to defraud in violation of section 817.034, and four counts of cashing or depositing

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