Cops: Seminole jail employee arrested after stealing inmate's credit card

Worker faces firing after being charged with credit card fraud

DELTONA, Fla. – A Seminole County Sheriff's Office employee was arrested after deputies say he stole a credit card from an inmate and used it at a gas station.

Luis Rodriguez, 59, a civilian detention service officer at the John E. Polk Correctional Facility in Seminole County, was arrested on Tuesday after a woman reported on Friday to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office that her credit card vanished and was fraudulently used while she was in jail.

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According to the release, the victim was released from jail eight hours after her arrest and believed that the credit card was in her wallet when she was booked into the facility.

Two days later, the victim noticed suspicious charges on her credit card at a Deltona gas station and car wash, deputies said.

An investigation was launched and Volusia deputies obtained video of the suspect using the card at the car wash. The victim identified the suspect as the employee from JEPCF.

According to the release, deputies verified the man in the video was Rodriguez and found both vehicles that were used at the car wash were registered to him.

Rodriguez was arrested at his home on Tuesday and booked into Volusia County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

“We adhere to the highest standards in our Correctional Facility, and we have absolutely no tolerance for this type of behavior,” said Seminole County Sheriff Donald Eslinger in a release. “I am shocked and extremely disappointed. These actions go against everything we stand for as an agency.”

Rodriguez was responsible for collecting and storing inmates' personal property while they're incarcerated. He was employed with the jail since 2010.

Deputies said they are in the process of terminating Rodriguez's employment at the jail.


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