Former Lee deputy arrested, charged with defrauding hurricane victims seeks reduced bond
A former Lee County deputy charged with fraud after authorities say he stole more than $100,000 after Hurricane Ian is asking for a reduced bond, citing care for a father with declining health who lives in New York.
Paul Trombley, 52, is charged with scheme to defraud, first-degree grand theft, and unlicensed contracting during a state of emergency.
According to the motion filed by his attorney, Michael Colombo, on Feb. 13, Lee Circuit Judge Robert Branning set Trombley's bond at $155,000.
The motion says Trombley is unable to post bond, which has resulted in his Collier County incarceration since his September 2023 arrest in New York.
According to the motion, placing Trombley in Collier County has complicated communicating with counsel. The motion alleges Trombley isn't permitted paper discovery, which are requests for case information, at the Collier County Jail.
Court documents say that Trombley, due to his law enforcement background, was placed in protective custody in Collier County.
Colombo said Trombley is allowed 20 minutes per day to review case information and shower.
According to the motion, Trombley worked at the Lee County Sheriff's Office for 29 years.
The motion says that prior his arrest, Trombley briefly moved to New York, where he worked as an assistant manager at a local Aldi store, to help his "sick" elderly father.
What led to Paul Trombley's arrest?
Trombley allegedly collected payments for Hurricane Ian repairs from customers he never turned over to his employer, MTS Construction, based in Cape Coral.
According to the affidavit, he told customers a cash payment would expedite their services, guarantee material prices, and in some cases, victims were told they'd receive a discount upon completion of the work.
Authorities said Trombley continued to present himself as a salesperson for MTS Construction after his termination. Records show MTS Construction filed for bankruptcy Feb. 5.
Attorney Gregory Champeau, who represents the company, on Tuesday told this news organization the employer's principals are Kyle Veloz and John Sherwood. The News-Press and Naples Daily News couldn't immediately reach Veloz or Sherwood for comment.
Champeau said Trombley isn't listed in bankruptcy documents.
Armed airplane entry: Fort Myers man charged with attempting to fly plane at Page Field Airport
According to Trombley's arrest affidavit, the former deputy defrauded more than 10 victims since Hurricane Ian's landfall on Sept. 28, 2022, and collected approximately $139,945.
The sheriff's office on Sept. 27, 2017, announced Trombley's retirement as a lieutenant after 25 years. The sheriff's office declined comment Tuesday afternoon.
Trombley is next due in court March 8 for a motions hearing.
"Paul is 100% innocent and I'm going to fight for him," Colombo said. "Paul has been sitting in jail all this time and these guys have been spending all this money."
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Former LCSO deputy charged with hurricane fraud seeks reduced bond
