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A short lived election employee in Maricopa County, Arizona, who was captured on surveillance video allegedly stealing a “digital magnetic key” from a tabulation middle final week, had been arrested simply months in the past for allegedly eradicating a complete of $1,800 in money from the register whereas working as a cashier at a close-by grocery retailer, in line with court docket paperwork obtained by Fox Information Digital.
The event raises considerations concerning the vetting of election staffers forward of the 2024 race.
At a information convention on Tuesday, Maricopa County Supervisor Invoice Gates, when pressed by a reporter, admitted that the suspect, 27-year-old Walter Ringfield, was in a felony diversion program – data that didn’t come up throughout a prison background test performed earlier than he was employed as a short lived election employee.
“We’re not going to get into the specifics of this case at this level, however we do, for all of our momentary workers, and he was a short lived worker in elections, we do a prison background test. And once we did that prison background test, we didn’t discover this. He was on diversion,” Gates mentioned. “It takes 2-3,000 momentary workers to run an election in Maricopa County. So safety is essential.”
ARIZONA ELECTION WORKER ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY STEALING SECURITY DEVICE FROM BALLOT TABULATION CENTER
Walter Ringfield was arrested on suspicion of theft Friday. (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Workplace)
Ringfield, of Phoenix, had been arrested on Sept. 30, 2023, at Frys Meals & Drug, a grocery retailer chain, positioned on North 18th Avenue in Phoenix for theft, in line with a possible trigger assertion obtained by Fox Information Digital. The night earlier than, Ringfield was working at cashier register 9, and afterward administration observed greater than $1,800 was lacking from Ringfield’s shift, the doc says.
“There was an investigation with loss prevention and administration to assessment safety footage which captured Walter taking clients’ money on the register and [pocketing] it over a number of transactions amounting to over 1800 {dollars},” the doc says. Ringfield was introduced for questioning with administration and loss prevention and “later admitted to the theft and had all of the money which stolen from yesterday in his entrance pant pocket.”
“When requested by the officer whose cash this was he said it was Frys money, and he was returning it,” the doc says. “Throughout Miranda Rights, Walter said he has been working for Frys for two weeks. He was struggling to pay hire and couldn’t pay payments. Walter admitted he took the cash from the register. Walter was subsequently booked into jail for his listed cost. Frys desired prosecution.”
Within the part asking whether or not the defendant serviced within the U.S. navy, the doc is checked “sure,” and underneath branches served in, indicated the U.S. Navy.
The doc additionally lists a previous arrest for disorderly conduct and combating. It says Ringfield isn’t at the moment on lively obligation, isn’t homeless and isn’t in want of the court docket to supply an interpreter.
Underneath place of the delivery, it signifies U.S., and cites current U.S. citizenship.
Fox Information Digital reached out to the Navy’s personnel workplace searching for extra data on Ringfield’s navy service however didn’t instantly hear again.
Maricopa County Supervisor Invoice Gates holds up a black safety key for instance of 1 stolen from the tabulation middle. (KSAZ)
The case was opened by the Maricopa County Legal professional’s Workplace 10 months in the past.
Ringfield was arrested once more on Friday in connection to the theft of a safety fob on the Maricopa County Elections constructing in Phoenix, authorities mentioned.
At Tuesday’s press convention, Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner was requested if authorities had a motive to consider the theft was “politically motivated.” He mentioned he couldn’t speculate right now, explaining that investigators “are nonetheless combing by a whole lot of digital proof that had been taken on the scene and going by objects that had been taken within the search warrant.”
“We don’t have any indication at this level, however we’re not ruling it out. And we’re going to depart no stone unturned. We’re going to ensure that we do consider the entire proof that was on the market and make sure that we comply with up on something that could be probably directing us some place else or different actors that could be concerned on this. However at this level, we wouldn’t have something that signifies that.”
Walter Ringfield was caught on footage allegedly taking safety gear from the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Middle in Arizona on June 20, 2024. (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Workplace)
Maricopa County, which has had repeated tabulation gear considerations, has change into a hotbed of election-fraud claims in recent times, particularly over the past presidential election in 2020.
Gates mentioned they don’t anticipate the incident to “have any influence in any respect on the first,” which is scheduled for July 30.
“The safety fobs are used together with particular safe tablets in the course of the election,” the possible trigger doc says. “As a result of the safety fob was faraway from the safe facility, all the safety fobs and safe tablets will must be reprogrammed to be safe for the upcoming election. The director of the power states that the estimated value of the reprogramming can be higher than $19,000, and the safe operation of the power is tremendously impeded till the reprogramming is full.”
Gates mentioned all of the tabulators have been reprogrammed, and the county performed a logic and accuracy take a look at and notified the political events.
ELECTION OFFICIALS IN ALL 50 STATES URGED TO SEEK INFO FROM BIDEN ADMIN TO PREVENT NONCITIZENS FROM VOTING
Walter Ringfield was caught on footage taking a magnetic safety key from the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Middle in Arizona on June 20, 2024. (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Workplace)
On Thursday, Ringfield was captured on surveillance cameras strolling previous a desk and a number of tabulators, the doc says. Ringfield stops on the desk and grabs a “pink scrunchy wrist lanyard with a safety fob and keys hooked up” and continues strolling, the doc says. He then allegedly places the safety fob and lanyard into the proper pocket of his shorts and “instantly after, he raises his arms to stretch.”
The doc says Ringfield was confronted by his employer concerning the theft and “Walter advised them he didn’t take the fob and lanyard.”
Ringfield advised the employer, “if he did mistakenly take it, it might be inside his automotive as a result of it wasn’t in his pocket when he obtained dwelling,” the doc says. Ringfield allowed his employer and safety to look inside his car, and so they noticed “a pink plastic lanyard on the middle console shifter, and a plastic tag figuring out the station one which matched the lacking keys,” however the fob was not positioned at the moment.
The following day, detectives went to Ringfield’s residence in Phoenix and arrested him whereas he was exterior.
Walter Ringfield was captured on safety footage strolling previous desks on the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Middle in Arizona on June 20, 2024. (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Workplace)
“Detectives had been capable of see by the window into Walter’s Acura which was backed into the driveway and will see a pink plastic merchandise on the shifter per what the employer and safety noticed,” the doc says. “Walter was interviewed submit Miranda and mentioned he labored at MCTEC and was fired as a result of they thought he stole one thing.”
Walter admitted to detectives that he took the fob however claimed he had it just for roughly 20 minutes after which gave it again.
Ringfield claimed he took the fob as a result of his job was momentary, and he was making an attempt to make it everlasting, so he needed to scrub up.
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Detectives executed a search warrant at Ringfield’s residence and the safety fob was positioned inside the master suite on high of a dresser, the doc says.
In contrast to the one from months in the past, the possible trigger doc in final week’s arrest ticks the “unknown” field within the part asking if the defendant served within the U.S. navy.
Danielle Wallace is a reporter for Fox Information Digital masking politics, crime, police and extra. Story suggestions could be despatched to [email protected] and on Twitter: @danimwallace.
Arizona election employee accused of stealing safety system was employed regardless of felony theft arrest months prior
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