A former deputy was arrested Friday evening, May 8, 2026, by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office following an investigation that found he had falsely claimed to have worked an extra duty detail.
39-year old Mark Rodriguez was booked-in at the Sheriff’s Processing Center and charged with: Public Servant Falsifying Official Records (F3), Unlawful Use of 2-Way Communication Device (F3), and Petit Theft (M1).
“Honesty is a cornerstone of law enforcement, and Mark Rodriguez showed that he can’t be trusted to be a deputy. His criminal conduct should be an embarrassment to him, and is certainly an embarrassment to the agency. He resigned during the investigation. Had he not resigned, his employment would have been terminated.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff.
Detectives first became aware of a problem on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, when a member of the Home Owners Association for the Westridge neighborhood in Davenport reported a discrepancy regarding Rodriguez’s extra duty work there.
Deputies are able to work extra duty details during their off-duty hours.
Rodriguez agreed to be a law enforcement presence in the community on May 1st from 5:00 am to 8:00 am, and marked himself present in the community for those hours remotely.
In an investigative interview, Rodriguez admitted to detectives that he never went into the neighborhood during those hours.
Rodriguez instead spent that time on duty, working his normal shift, attending morning briefing, and answering calls for service.
Later, Rodriguez accepted a deposit of $135.97 into his bank account as payment for the work he claimed he performed.
Mark Rodriguez was hired as a deputy sheriff trainee on November 27, 2023.
