A southwest Florida farm manager could soon face years in prison and more than $3 million in restitution after he pleaded guilty to crop insurance fraud at one of Florida’s highest-profile farm operations.
Mark Frisbie, 60, of Punta Gorda, pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement in a federal crop insurance claim and greatly underreporting production and sales from bell pepper crops at farms around Immokalee, near Fort Myers, federal court records show.
The plan swindled $1.7 million from the Federal Crop Insurance Corp. and another $1.5 million from the Farm Service Agency, a U.S. Department of Agriculture branch that provides assistance to farmers, the felony information document shows.
Frisbie was accused of working with “Conspirator 1” in the scheme. The court records do not identify that person by name, but a former official with Oakes Farms told WINK news that the co-conspirator is Alfie Oakes, the owner of the sprawling agri-business operation in southwest Florida, the Bradenton Herald and other news sites reported.
Oakes, who could not be reached for comment by the news outlets, has been known for his anti-government and political views. Federal agents raided his home and business office in a separate investigation in 2024, according to local news reports at the time.
Another alleged conspirator, Christopher Lee, a former manager at Oakes Farms, struck a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in 2025. He and others engaged in ‘insurance farming’— deliberately failing to fumigate or fertilize insured crops, all to gain crop insurance payments, prosecutors said.
In Frisbie’s case, the charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine, plus restitution. If Frisbie continues to cooperate with prosecutors he will likely face a greatly reduced sentence, news sites reported.
Frisbie’s attorney is Simon Gaugush, of the Carlton Fields law firm. He told the Herald and the Fort Myers News-Press that Frisbie has accepted responsibility for his actions.
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“For over 15 years, Mark Frisbie ran a legitimate farming operation in Southwest Florida, growing food to feed American families,” Gaugush said. “This charge does not change that fact. He is a family man and a respected member of his community.”
