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Polk County deputy accused of stealing cash during traffic stop resigns after arrest

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Updated  June 26, 2025 5:45pm EDT
Polk County
FOX 13 News
Polk County deputy accused of stealing cash during traffic stop resigns after arrest

Polk County deputy accused of stealing cash during traffic stop resigns after arrest

FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports.

The Brief

    • The Polk County Sheriff's Office says Deputy Justin Register stole cash out of a driver's wallet during a recent traffic stop.
    • He resigned after his arrest on a petit theft charge.
    • Sheriff Grady Judd says the sheriff's office is auditing all his previous traffic stops and arrests.

FORT MEADE, Fla. - A Polk County deputy is off the force after investigators say he took cash out of a driver's wallet during a traffic stop, leading to his arrest.

The backstory:

According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Deputy Justin Register, 28, pulled over a vehicle near Fort Meade.

Two other deputies who had arrived as backup later said they saw Register put the driver's wallet and phone in the trunk of his patrol car, then return to the trunk and take $82 out of the wallet before handing it to the driver's daughter.

Mugshot of Justin Register. Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office.

Mugshot of Justin Register. Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office.

PCSO says the driver noticed $300 was missing, at which point Register returned to the patrol car, pulled folded cash out of a bag and said, "Oh, here it is."

Sheriff Grady Judd says an investigation began after the other deputies spoke to their lieutenant about the incident.

Register was arrested for petit theft and resigned Wednesday afternoon, with the sheriff's office saying he would have been fired if he hadn't resigned.

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Dig deeper:

Register had been with the sheriff's office since May 2018, according to the agency.

What they're saying:

"It makes me so angry I could chew the bark off of oak trees because he betrayed the community's trust," said Sheriff Grady Judd. "That's why he's not a law enforcement officer anymore." 

What's next:

Register was a drug recognition expert and was recognized for making more than 200 DUI arrests, so the sheriff says all of those cases may be in jeopardy. He's working with the state attorney to review them. 

Anyone with concerns about Register's conduct during previous investigations is urged to contact PCSO's administrative investigation section at 863-298-6506.

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The Source: This story was written with information from the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

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