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Bay County Sheriff’s Office Arrests “Visit Panama City Beach” VP On 5 Counts Of Fraud And $100K+ Larceny Grand Theft Charges
Aaron Lee
BAY COUNTY, FL – Bay County Sheriff’s Office announces the arrest of Aaron Lee, Vice President of Administration for the Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), also known as Visit Panama City Beach, following an investigation into the alleged misuse of CVB-issued credit cards.
On January 2, 2026, Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigators met with Tourist Development Council President and CEO Dan Rowe who wanted to report suspected fraud committed by Lee. Rowe confirmed that Lee had been issued a business American Express credit card that was intended for authorized business use only. During the investigation, deputies uncovered significant discrepancies between credit card transactions and documented business expenses.
A review of the American Express account revealed substantial variances between the card statements and the CVB’s internal expense logging system, with discrepancies dating back to April 2024. Investigators determined that nearly $1 million in charges were made on the CVB-issued American Express card, while only approximately $58,000 of those transactions were reportedly entered into the organization’s expense tracking program.
Investigators further determined that more than 1,000 transactions occurred between April 2024 and January 2026. These charges included high-end hotels and restaurants, airline expenses to Europe and other various locations, Venmo payments, and other non-business-related expenditures. Other transactions Included the purchase of a home water filtration system, services from a divorce attorney, two charges to a company that operates international cruises, and a charge to a business that conducts horse auctions.
Rowe advised investigators that he believes Lee may have been deleting transactions from the CVB’s Expensify account to make it appear as though the charges had never occurred.
On January 3, 2026, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Lee’s residence. When investigators arrived to arrest Lee, he was found with a packed suitcase and had plans to leave town. During a post-Miranda interview, Lee stated that he had linked the American Express card to his Apple Pay account and claimed the charges were accidental. He later stated that he had intended to repay the funds but failed to do so. Lee admitted to using the card for personal purchases, including the water filtration system. As a result of the search warrant, investigators seized several high-end watches and clothing from the residence worth several hundred thousand dollars, including Rolex and Cartier brands.
Aaron Lee was arrested and has been charged with Grand Theft and five counts of Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card. He was transported to the Bay County Jail.
On January 2, 2026, Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigators met with Tourist Development Council President and CEO Dan Rowe who wanted to report suspected fraud committed by Lee. Rowe confirmed that Lee had been issued a business American Express credit card that was intended for authorized business use only. During the investigation, deputies uncovered significant discrepancies between credit card transactions and documented business expenses.
A review of the American Express account revealed substantial variances between the card statements and the CVB’s internal expense logging system, with discrepancies dating back to April 2024. Investigators determined that nearly $1 million in charges were made on the CVB-issued American Express card, while only approximately $58,000 of those transactions were reportedly entered into the organization’s expense tracking program.
Investigators further determined that more than 1,000 transactions occurred between April 2024 and January 2026. These charges included high-end hotels and restaurants, airline expenses to Europe and other various locations, Venmo payments, and other non-business-related expenditures. Other transactions Included the purchase of a home water filtration system, services from a divorce attorney, two charges to a company that operates international cruises, and a charge to a business that conducts horse auctions.
Rowe advised investigators that he believes Lee may have been deleting transactions from the CVB’s Expensify account to make it appear as though the charges had never occurred.
On January 3, 2026, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Lee’s residence. When investigators arrived to arrest Lee, he was found with a packed suitcase and had plans to leave town. During a post-Miranda interview, Lee stated that he had linked the American Express card to his Apple Pay account and claimed the charges were accidental. He later stated that he had intended to repay the funds but failed to do so. Lee admitted to using the card for personal purchases, including the water filtration system. As a result of the search warrant, investigators seized several high-end watches and clothing from the residence worth several hundred thousand dollars, including Rolex and Cartier brands.
Aaron Lee was arrested and has been charged with Grand Theft and five counts of Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card. He was transported to the Bay County Jail.
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