POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A Winter Haven man who was given a chance to avoid prison time through a weekend work program is back behind bars after deputies say he simply stopped showing up.
The legal saga for 48-year-old Matthew Lynn Rhoton began nearly a year ago on April 20, 2025. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Rhoton was initially arrested for felony criminal mischief after he intentionally kicked and damaged a car door in a parking lot.
The cost to repair the vehicle was estimated at $2,000.
By February 2026, the court system offered Rhoton a lighter path. He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor criminal mischief.
His sentence included one year of probation and an order to serve 10 days in a weekend work-release program, along with requirements to pay restitution to the victim.
READ: “They Don’t Do This In Wisconsin!” — Wisconsin Man Shocked By Quick Arrest In Florida
The arrangement fell apart when Rhoton failed to report for his scheduled work shifts. Following his disappearance from the program, a judge issued an arrest warrant.
The search ended Wednesday evening, April 15, thanks to a lead submitted through Heartland Crime Stoppers. Acting on the tip, deputies tracked Rhoton to a location on Meadowview Drive in Lakeland. He was found at the residence at approximately 5:39 p.m., exactly where the tipster had reported he would be.
Rhoton was taken into custody without further incident and transported to the Sheriff’s Processing Center to be booked on the outstanding warrant. He now faces the consequences of violating his original sentence, which typically includes the possibility of the court revoking his probation.
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