POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A Florida Department of Corrections officer, Juania Lilly (51), was taken into custody on Thursday following an investigation into her use of a fraudulent handicap parking placard.
Around 9:30 AM on Wednesday, a Polk County Sheriff’s Office Service Officer discovered Lilly’s car parked in a designated handicap space at the Highlands City Publix.
After Lilly claimed the expired placard belonged to her mother, the officer’s investigation revealed it was registered to an unrelated individual who had reported it lost in April 2023.
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The placard’s expiration date appeared to have been altered.
A deputy sheriff called in for further investigation and interviewed Lilly, who then stated the original owner had left the placard in her car.
Lilly, employed at Polk Correctional Institute and a part-time Lyft driver, denied the claim of attributing the placard to her mother.
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“It’s very disappointing when a public servant not only refuses to cooperate with a law enforcement investigation, but outright lies. She also committed a felony when she decided to alter and use someone else’s handicapped placard. Now she’s going to be held accountable for her crimes,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
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