LEE COUNTY, Fla. – A Lee County jury convicted 40-year-old Jorge Rea on Tuesday, January 14, 2026, of fleeing to elude law enforcement at high speed or with wanton disregard and dangerous excessive speeding, and he was immediately sentenced to 144 months in prison following the verdict.
The guilty verdict was returned shortly after 5 p.m. after a one-day trial. Rea was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Jacob Wetter and Alexandra Xiques. Investigators said the case stemmed from a late-night pursuit that reached speeds exceeding 100 mph.
The incident began around 10 p.m. July 8, 2025, when deputies with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office began pursuing a vehicle driven by Rea. As the chase crossed into Lee County, the Florida Highway Patrol was notified.
An FHP trooper was conducting traffic control for a detour near the intersection of Corkscrew Road and Ben Hill Griffin Parkway when a gray SUV sped past at an estimated 100 mph, followed closely by a marked sheriff’s office patrol vehicle with lights and sirens activated. The pursuing deputy used an air horn to alert the trooper, who then joined the pursuit and assumed the primary role.
According to trial testimony, the trooper attempted to slow the fleeing vehicle by accelerating past it and positioning his patrol car in front, reducing speed to about 40 mph. Rea attempted to evade by driving onto the grassy shoulder and accelerating in an effort to pass and cut off the trooper.
With no traffic present in that stretch of roadway, the trooper executed a Precision Immobilization Technique, using the front left of the patrol car to contact the rear right of the SUV. The maneuver successfully brought the vehicle to a stop.
Rea was ordered out of the vehicle and taken into custody. Authorities said he was driving on a suspended license at the time of the pursuit. A passenger in the vehicle, who had an active warrant, was also arrested.
Rea was remanded to custody to begin serving his sentence immediately following the conviction.
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