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News and Investigations
News & Investigations
News Releases and Public Information
Welcome to the Polk County Sheriff's Office News Room, where the Public Information Officers (PIO's) post all of the information that they release to the news media. PIO's act as liaisons between news media organizations and the Sheriff's Office. The PIO's routinely release timely and accurate information and Crime Stoppers bulletins, and respond to routine and "breaking news" media inquiries. News releases and Crime Stoppers information can be found on this page.
PCSO's full-time Public Information Officers are Brian Bruchey, Carrie Horstman, and Meghan Petty. The Public Information Officers can be reached by sending an e-mail collectively at PIOs@polksheriff.org.
The recent news releases sent out by the PIOs can be found here, and archived releases (older than 2017) can be found here.
Nov 20, 2024
Man who lied about his identity arrested after he forgot who he said he was
Media Contact: Brian Bruchey, PIO
A man was arrested by the Polk County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, after he lied about his identity, then slipped-up while trying to keep the lie going.
54-year old Richard Hallmark of Winter Haven told a PCSO sergeant during a traffic stop that his name was actually Robert Hallmark.
When the sergeant discovered that a backpack in the car contained marijuana and methamphetamine, Richard claimed the backpack belong to his brother...Robert Hallmark.
Pro boxer George Foreman famously had five sons with the same name, and then there were the brothers from the TV series, "Newhart," (Larry, his brother Darryl, and his other brother Darryl), so it wasn't out of the question that there could be brothers who were both named Robert Hallmark.
Regardless of that, Richard realized his error, and soon admitted to the sergeant that his name was Richard, not Robert, and he lied about his name because he had a warrant out for his arrest.
Richard's warrant was for Violation of Probation (Conspiracy to Deliver Meth).
The PCSO sergeant arrested Richard Hallmark on the warrant, then took him to the Polk County Jail where he was additionally charged with two felonies and three misdemeanors.