Former Haines City police officer accused of using dead man's identity to amass $10K in fraud charges: PCSO

HAINES CITY, Fla. - Polk County fraud detectives arrested a 24-year-old former Haines City police officer accused of using the identity of a dead person to make thousands of dollars in unauthorized credit card charges.

Polk County fraud investigation

The backstory:

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, investigators arrested Jeffrey Ziegler on Tuesday following a months-long fraud investigation.

Detectives say Ziegler is accused of using the identity of a man who died on February 28, 2024, to rack up fraudulent credit card charges totaling $10,362.02.

The charges were made between February 29 and March 12, 2024, beginning just one day after the victim’s death.

Family discovered fraud years later

Timeline:

Investigators say the fraud went undetected until December 31, 2025, when family members reviewing the deceased man’s mail found past-due notices tied to the unauthorized charges.

The case was then reported to PCSO on January 2, 2026, launching an investigation.

Suspect was living with victim at the time of fraud

Detectives determined the victim had been living with his daughter and her boyfriend at the time of his death. That boyfriend was identified as Jeffrey Ziegler.

Investigators say the victim’s daughter provided text messages sent by Ziegler that placed him at locations matching the fraudulent purchases.

Former law enforcement officer charged

Employment background

Officials said Ziegler was employed as a detention deputy with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office during the timeframe of the alleged crimes.

At the time of his arrest, Ziegler was working as an officer with the Haines City Police Department.

Sheriff Grady Judd, Haines City officials react 

What they're saying:

"Knowingly stealing from someone who has died is just terrible. I’m not sure what he was thinking, but we are holding him accountable for his criminal behavior. This permanently ends his career in public safety, that’s for sure," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.

Officials said Ziegler resigned effective immediately upon his arrest. Had he not resigned, he would have been terminated.

"We are deeply saddened and disappointed by the alleged off-duty behavior of former officer Jeff Ziegler. We expect our officers to uphold the law and maintain integrity on and off duty. Based upon the information we have reviewed, he exercised exceedingly poor judgment. His actions do not reflect the values of this department. We remain committed to accountability and maintaining the public’s trust. Had he not resigned, he would have been terminated," Haines City Public Safety Director Joe Halman Jr. said.

Charges filed

Ziegler faces the following charges:

• Criminal use of personal identification of a deceased person, a second-degree felony
• Grand theft, a third-degree felony
• Fraudulent use of credit card, a third-degree felony
• Unlawful use of two-way communication device, a third-degree felony
• Unlawful possession of personal identification information, a first-degree misdemeanor

Haines CityCrime and Public Safety