POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A request to call a ride-share service turned into a criminal investigation in Lake Wales late last month, leaving a local woman without her phone and missing money from her bank account.
The incident, which began as a simple favor, has now landed a man with a lengthy criminal history back behind bars.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the trouble started on December 29. The victim told deputies that 37-year-old Andrew Joseph McHaffie asked to borrow her cell phone. He claimed he needed to use it to order an Uber ride. However, once he had the phone in hand, McHaffie allegedly fled, taking the device with him.
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For over a week, the woman tried to get her property back. She told investigators that she made several attempts to contact McHaffie to retrieve the phone, but she was unsuccessful. On January 6, she officially reported the theft to the police. By that time, she had discovered that $275 in unauthorized transactions had been made using her accounts.
Deputies obtained a warrant for McHaffie’s arrest following the report. He remained at large until Monday morning, when law enforcement officers spotted him walking along State Road 60 near Story Road in Lake Wales.
He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Sheriff’s Processing Center.
READ: Polk County Deputies Catch Man In Lakeland Who Was Wanted In 3 Florida Counties
McHaffie is now facing serious consequences due to his past record. Because he has four prior guilty convictions for theft, his current charges were upgraded.
He has been charged with Felony Petit Theft and Criminal Use of Personal Identification. Jail records indicate this is not McHaffie’s first time in the system; he has 33 prior arrests in Polk County for various offenses, including burglary, grand theft of a motor vehicle, retail theft, and drug charges.
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