A Polk County Sheriff’s deputy once praised for his record-breaking efforts to get drunk drivers off the road has now found himself on the wrong side of the law.
Deputy Justin Register, 28, resigned from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, following his arrest for petit theft. Sheriff Grady Judd made it clear that had Register not stepped down, he would have been terminated.
“I am disgusted by Justin Register’s dishonest behavior,” said Sheriff Judd. “We are going to hold him accountable for his disgraceful actions, and he should never be trusted to work in law enforcement again. I am proud of the two other deputies who came forward to report what they discovered.”
The arrest stems from an incident during a traffic stop near Fort Meade, where Register had pulled over a driver for operating a vehicle without a valid license. Deputies Joseph Leon and Vito Mineo arrived as backup and observed Register place the driver’s wallet and phone into the trunk of his patrol vehicle.
Deputy Leon later witnessed Register return to the trunk, and when the driver’s daughter arrived to collect her father’s belongings, Register retrieved the items and handed her $82 from the wallet. The driver, however, reported that approximately $300 was missing.
Deputies Leon and Mineo began searching the scene and located a pay stub showing the driver had recently cashed a $400 check. Deputy Leon again observed Register return to the trunk of his vehicle, where he unzipped a rifle bag and pulled out folded cash. After unfolding and flattening the money, Register proclaimed, “Oh, here it is!”
The incident was immediately reported to a supervising lieutenant, launching an internal investigation that resulted in Register’s arrest and resignation. He has been charged with misdemeanor petit theft.
But this incident is more than just a case of theft — it casts a long shadow over Register’s previous work as a traffic enforcement deputy, particularly his widely publicized DUI arrests.
In 2024, Register was celebrated across Polk County and beyond for making over 200 DUI arrests, shattering previous department records. His efforts were praised by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and earned him a Sheriff’s Commendation from Sheriff Judd. A social media post from the Sheriff’s Office at the time proudly highlighted Register’s accomplishments, noting that no deputy in PCSO history had made so many DUI arrests in a single year.
Now, those very arrests are under scrutiny.
Sheriff Judd has announced that all of Register’s arrests and traffic stops will be audited. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is also working with the 10th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office to review any active cases tied to Register’s work.
“This investigation is far from over,” Judd said. “If anyone has information concerning Register’s conduct related to any of his investigations, they are encouraged to contact our administrative investigation section.”
Justin Register had served with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office since May 2018.
Anyone with concerns or information related to Register’s past investigations is urged to contact the PCSO Administrative Investigations Section at (863) 298-6506.
