Authorities have arrested and charged an Arizona man for allegedly stealing a security fob and keys from a ballot tabulation center in Maricopa County.
According to Fox News, Walter Ringfield, 37, who was a temporary election worker, was arrested for allegedly stealing items from a ballot tabulation center.
Security footage showed Ringfield allegedly taking a red lanyard with a crucial security fob and keys from a desk inside the facility. Despite initially denying the theft when confronted by his employer, a subsequent search of Ringfield’s vehicle uncovered the lanyard.
Police later went to Ringfield’s home and arrested him. The lanyard and keys were found in his car. The missing fob was found inside his home.
Ringfield was booked into jail and is accused of theft and criminal damage.
Ringfield allegedly admitted to stealing the fob but said he “gave it back” after 20 minutes.
“Walter stated his reason for taking the fob was because he wanted to ‘clean up,’” court documents read. “Walter said the job was temporary and he was trying to make it permanent, so he wanted to clean up.”‘
Security fobs are used with special secure tablets. Because one was removed, the staff must now reprogram every fob and tablet. Maricopa County Election officials estimate the cost of the reprogramming to be more than $19,000.
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes confirmed the incident
“Our systems are not only designed to detect anomalies but are also supported by dedicated professionals committed to upholding the democratic process,” Fontes said in a statement, according to Fox News. “While this event is unwelcome, it speaks to the effectiveness of the security protocols built into Arizona’s election systems.”
At a press conference on Tuesday, Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner said election staffers and law enforcement’s “swift response and ultimate action helped safeguard democracy and rapid response to the security protocols we have with elections proved to be effective.”
“If it wasn’t for the staff members at the Maricopa County Elections Center, we wouldn’t have been able to get on this in time to potentially find the missing evidence and get a suspect in custody,” he said.
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