POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Deputies with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 31-year-old Mulberry man Friday morning following a residential burglary investigation that uncovered drugs, a stolen scooter, and a concealed firearm.
At approximately 9 a.m. on Friday, August 7, 2026, deputies responded to a home on North Grady Avenue. Reports indicated that a man had entered a screened porch and taken an electric scooter valued at roughly $300.
Deputies searching the surrounding area located a suspect outside a nearby hotel. Investigators observed the man attempting to hide an object beneath a discarded mattress located near a dumpster.
Law enforcement identified the suspect as Robert Lee Williams. Upon inspecting the mattress, deputies recovered a Ruger .22 caliber handgun. Williams is a convicted felon and is legally prohibited from owning or carrying firearms.
A search of Williams yielded a baggie containing MDMA (Molly) pills, methamphetamine, a digital scale, a smoking device, and multiple syringes.
During questioning, Williams admitted to committing the burglary and theft, and he directed deputies to the location where he had hidden the stolen electric scooter.
Williams was transported to the Sheriff’s Processing Center and booked on multiple charges:
- Tampering with evidence (F3, two counts)
- Occupied burglary of a residence (F2)
- Grand theft from a dwelling (F3)
- Armed trafficking of MDMA (FL)
- Possession of methamphetamine (F3)
- Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (F2)
- Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon (F2)
- Possession of drug paraphernalia (M1)
READ: Hillsborough County Search Warrant Leads To Nine Felony Charges For Tampa Man
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