A Sheriff’s office helicopter pilot recently played a key role in the arrest of a prolific Central Florida criminal. Polk County Sheriff’s Office helicopter pilot, Arman, was flying over Rifle Range Road and Bomber Road in Wahneta when he observed a motorcycle committing traffic violations last month. Arman quickly radioed patrol units on the ground and directed them to the motorcycle’s location.
A traffic stop was initiated on the motorcycle, which was found to be unregistered and lacking a license plate. The rider initially gave the name Charles Phillips, but deputies later discovered the rider’s true identity as 39-year-old Joe Edward Phillips. The motorcycle was confirmed to be stolen out of Osceola County on December 28, 2021.
Further investigation revealed Phillips’ driver’s license had been suspended in 2023, and he did not have a motorcycle endorsement on his license. Phillips was arrested and taken to the Polk County Jail, where he was charged with several offenses: grand theft motor vehicle, driving while license suspended (third subsequent offense), providing false identification to law enforcement officers, driving an unregistered vehicle, and failure to have the required motorcycle endorsement.
Law enforcement also revealed that Phillips has an extensive criminal history, with previous arrests for burglary, motor vehicle theft, grand theft, criminal mischief, and petit theft. He has served a total of 9.5 years in state prison across four separate terms.
