On August 11, 2025, Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested 23-year-old Stephan Rice IV at a Circle K store on Commonwealth Avenue in Polk City, Florida, shortly after midnight. Rice, who was released from state prison on June 12, 2025, after serving a four-year sentence for grand theft of a motor vehicle, was apprehended on an active warrant.
According to a Polk County Sheriff’s Office detective, on June 30, 2025, Rice burglarized a vehicle in Polk City and stole a wallet. He later used a credit card from the stolen wallet to make a purchase of approximately $765. Following the issuance of a warrant, deputies located and arrested Rice without incident. He was transported to the Polk County Jail.
Charges:
- Burglary of Conveyance
- Grand Theft
- Felony Petit Theft
- Unlawful Use of a Person’s ID
Stephan Rice’s prior criminal history includes:
- Grand Theft
- Petit Theft
- Motor Vehicle Theft
- Grand Theft of a Firearm
- Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor
- Conspiracy to Commit Burglary
- Armed Burglary of a Dwelling
- Battery on Law Enforcement
- Assault on Law Enforcement
- Resisting an Officer Without Violence
- Corruption by Threat to Public Official
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
- Possession of Marijuana
The investigation remains ongoing, and additional details have not been released. Nothing further at this time
Source: Polk County Sheriff’s Office News Release
