Polk School Board Candidate Victor Sims Responds to 2018 Sheriff Investigation Records
From the Editor: The Citrus Tea News is committed to factual, unbiased reporting. This story is based on records reviewed by The Citrus Tea News and independently verified before publication. It was not produced in coordination with any political campaign. An investigation is not an arrest, and an arrest is not a conviction. In this case, no charges were ever filed, and the State Attorney declined to prosecute. The Citrus Tea News does not editorialize on the outcome of elections and does not endorse candidates. We report what the records show, give every subject the opportunity to respond, and we let voters decide.
Victor Sims, who is running for Polk County School Board District 3 in the Nov. 3 general election, has responded publicly after records from a 2018 Polk County Sheriff’s Office investigation surfaced showing he was investigated in connection with a $20,000 check that investigators alleged was stolen from a local business and fraudulently deposited into his bank account. The State Attorney reviewed the case and declined to prosecute. No charges were ever filed.
The Citrus Tea News reviewed records that came to the publication’s attention and independently verified them before seeking comment from the candidate.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office opened the case in March 2018 after a business owner reported that someone had attempted to deposit a $20,000 check into an account belonging to Victor Emmanuel Sims at a MidFlorida Credit Union drive-through location. The business owner told investigators he hadn’t written the check to Sims and didn’t know him. He said the check appeared to have been stolen from his briefcase or lost, as he sometimes carried blank, pre-signed business checks.
Investigators identified Sims through bank surveillance footage and met with him in April 2018 at the Auburndale Flea Market. According to the sheriff’s office report, Sims acknowledged signing the back of the check and attempting to deposit it. The detective’s report states that during the interview, Sims changed his account of events multiple times. He told investigators at various points that he believed the check came from his home builders, then later said he thought it was an IRS tax refund.
The detective’s report concludes that Sims “endeavored to deprive the victim of $20,000 through passing an altered check without permission” and that his stated reason for cashing the check “was later found to be a lie.” The report further states that Sims “has not shown me any evidence to prove that he was expecting a check of any amount at the time frame of this incident.”
The case was forwarded to the State Attorney’s Office for the Tenth Judicial Circuit. On Sept. 18, 2018, State Attorney Brian Haas’ office declined to prosecute. The declination memo states: “There is insufficient evidence to overcome the plausible denial expressed by the suspect in his statement to law enforcement. Because the State would be unable to meet its burden of proving that the suspect acted with criminal intent beyond a reasonable doubt in trial, no charges will be filed.”
No charges were ever filed against Sims. He has no criminal conviction in connection with this case.
The Citrus Tea News contacted Sims for comment on Oct. 21, 2026. His campaign responded by directing The Citrus Tea News to a video statement Sims posted on the campaign’s Facebook page. In that statement, Sims offered a new account of the incident, saying he deposited the check because he believed it was a return on an investment he had made in solar panels on his home.
“For my 21st birthday, I decided that I was gonna buy myself a house,” Sims said in the video. “I found out that the solar panels that I put on my house, I get a tax rebate for. Instead, a check would come in the mail because of that investment.”
He said he later discovered the check was fraudulent, and the sheriff’s office investigation made it clear he had been the victim of a scheme.
That explanation differs from the account Sims gave investigators in 2018, as documented in the PCSO report, in which he said he believed the check came from his home builders and later said he thought it was an IRS refund.
In the Facebook video, Sims blamed his opponent for surfacing the records, saying “my opponent is pulling out my past.” Sims is running against appointed incumbent Kate Wallace. The Citrus Tea News independently reviewed these records after Sims posted a response video. The Wallace campaign did not contact us in connection with this story.
Sims also used the video to pivot to a campaign message about financial literacy in schools, saying his own experience as a victim of a scheme is part of why he believes financial literacy should be taught in classrooms. “It’s one of the reasons why I continue to make this election about the things that actually happen inside of our classrooms,” he said.
Sims was 22 years old at the time of the 2018 investigation. According to his campaign biography, he was pursuing a law degree at Florida State University during this period, and also earned a master’s in business from Florida International University.
Election Day is Nov. 3. Early voting runs through Oct. 31. Voters can verify their polling place and sample ballot at polkelections.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Victor Sims arrested?
No. Sims was investigated by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in 2018 but was never arrested in connection with this case.
Was he charged with a crime?
No. The case was forwarded to the State Attorney’s Office, which declined to prosecute. No charges were ever filed.
Was he convicted of anything?
No. There is no criminal conviction related to this case.
Why did the State Attorney decline to prosecute?
The State Attorney’s Office cited insufficient evidence to overcome the plausible denial Sims expressed to law enforcement. The office determined it could not prove criminal intent beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
What does the sheriff’s report say?
The detective’s report concludes that Sims changed his account of events multiple times during the investigation and that his stated reason for depositing the check was later found to be inconsistent with the evidence. The report was forwarded to the State Attorney, who made the final decision not to prosecute.
Did Sims respond to this story?
Yes. Before publication, The Citrus Tea News contacted Sims for comment. His campaign directed us to a video statement he posted on the campaign’s Facebook page in which he describes himself as a victim of a financial scheme and offers a new explanation for why he deposited the check.
Is this story an endorsement of his opponent?
No. The Citrus Tea News does not endorse candidates. This story is based on public records that were independently reviewed and verified. It was not produced in coordination with any political campaign.
Sources: Polk County Sheriff’s Office Incident Report No. 18-11935, March and April 2018; State Attorney’s Office Tenth Judicial Circuit Case Filing Evaluation, FA18001978CA, Sept. 18, 2018; Victor Sims campaign Facebook video statement, Oct. 20, 2026
