Former Rep. Trevor Lee makes first court appearance on fraud charges

SALT LAKE CITY — Former state Rep. Trevor Lee made his initial court appearance after being charged with fraud and forgery.

Lee, a Republican, appeared briefly before a judge Wednesday morning at the Scott M. Matheson Courthouse in Salt Lake City. The judge scheduled a follow-up hearing with 3rd District Judge Joel Ferre on Nov. 23 at 9 a.m.

The former lawmaker appeared at the hearing alongside his attorney, Kathy Nester, who told the judge her client has already been booked into jail and released. Lee declined to comment to reporters following the hearing.

Lee was charged last month with communications fraud and mortgage fraud, second-degree felonies, and forgery and having a forging device, third-degree felonies. Prosecutors from the Utah Attorney General's Office say Lee forged documents related to a mortgage application and "misrepresented his employment" with a company to obtain a loan for a home he built in Layton.

KSL previously reported on that home. Two subcontractors who worked on it said in May they were still owed $165,000 for foundation work they did in 2024.

Lee blamed the man he hired as a general contractor for part of the project and obtained a certificate of compliance from the state, allowing him to finalize the home purchase.

After the charges were filed late last month, Lee resigned from the Utah House of Representatives, citing "personal circumstances that require my attention." He had served in the Legislature since 2023 representing Layton, but lost his reelection bid in June.

Nester, Lee's attorney, is also representing Tyler Robinson, who's accused of killing Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University last year. She also represented Kouri Richins, who was sentenced to life without parole for murdering her husband.

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