News and Investigations

A former deputy was arrested on Tuesday, May 20, 2026, by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office following an investigation that found he had falsified several time cards, resulting in him being paid $4,318.39 for hours he did not work.

25-year old Ezekiel Williams is being charged with: Scheming to Defraud (F3); Unlawful Use of 2-Way Communication Device (F3); Grand Theft (F3);
Official Misconduct (F3)

On March 24, 2026, Williams was approved to work light-duty at Animal Control due to an ongoing medical issue; his hours were Tuesday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Each Monday he was approved to use PTO/FMLA to attend medical appointments.

In April 2026, Williams began calling out of work frequently by texting the Animal Control supervisor to whom he was assigned. After several occurrences, the supervisor contacted Williams' law enforcement chain of command with his concerns about Williams not showing up to his light-duty assignment. A preliminary review of Williams' time card was conducted, and discrepancies were noted regarding the hours he worked compared to the hours he falsely claimed to have worked. 

A full investigation began, which included an audit of each pay period and the hours Williams actually worked, compared to the hours he claimed that he worked. The investigation revealed that during three separate pay periods, Williams falsely claimed he worked 131.5 hours, which totaled $4,318.39.

"This deputy was injured off-duty, and we gave him every opportunity to handle his medical issues and continue to work on light-duty status. The thanks he gave to us in return was to steal our money. Now he is looking at jail from the inside out. Had he not resigned, his employment would have been terminated." - Grady Judd, Sheriff

Ezekiel Williams was hired as a deputy sheriff on May 21, 2024. He is being held on $20,000 bond ($5,000 per charge).