POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A former Polk County deputy is behind bars tonight after investigators say he pocketed cash for a neighborhood security shift he never actually showed up for. Mark Rodriguez, 39, was arrested Friday evening, May 8, 2026, following a whirlwind investigation into his off-duty work habits.
The trouble started on Wednesday when a Home Owners Association representative from the Westridge neighborhood in Davenport noticed something wasn’t right.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Rodriguez had signed up to provide a law enforcement presence in the community on May 1st from 5:00 am to 8:00 am. While he remotely marked himself as present, the HOA reported a discrepancy in his actual whereabouts…