Former Layton Rep. Trevor Lee's fraud case set for Nov. 23 after first court hearing

Former state Rep. Trevor Lee made his first court appearance Wednesday morning at the Scott M. Matheson Courthouse in Salt Lake City on four felony charges filed by the Utah Attorney General's Office. He did not enter a plea, and his next hearing is Nov. 23 at 9 a.m. before 3rd District Judge Joel Ferre. ^[1][2]

The hearing before 3rd District Court Commissioner Melissa Stirba lasted a few minutes. Lee spoke only to confirm he had received a copy of the charges and waived a formal reading of them. ^[1][3]

Stirba told Lee he still needed to be booked on the case. His attorney, Kathryn Nester, said he had already been booked and fingerprinted, and Stirba said the jail's record of it had not reached the court. Lee declined to comment to reporters afterward. ^[1][2]

Prosecutors charged Lee in September with communications fraud and mortgage fraud, both second-degree felonies, plus two third-degree forgery counts. They allege he forged an employment contract and overstated his income to get a $1 million loan for a home he built in Layton, reporting $168,000 in pay while tax forms showed about $55,000. ^[1][3]

Lee, a Layton Republican who had represented House District 16 since 2023, resigned from the Legislature after the charges were filed. He had already lost his reelection bid in the June primary. ^[2][3][4]