A temporary elections worker in Maricopa County, Arizona, was arrested on suspicion of stealing items from a voting center.
Law enforcement officials said 27-year-old Walter Lingfield was arrested Friday. Stall According to KTAR News, the Maricopa County Counting and Election Center sent them a security fob and key.
According to the media, Lingfield was on probation for a previous criminal offence but was jailed for “theft and damage to property”.
Maricopa County Elections Department Said In a statement to ABC15, election workers conducting their “daily inventory” Friday morning noticed “an item was missing from the vote counting center, having been removed the night before.”
“On Friday morning, Maricopa County Board of Elections staff were conducting their daily inventory and discovered that items had been stolen from the ballot counting center on Thursday evening,” the Maricopa County Board of Elections said in a statement. “Staff immediately began investigating the incident and contacted the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. The stolen items have been recovered, but the Board of Elections is in the process of reprogramming all equipment and re-running logic and accuracy tests to ensure the integrity of Maricopa County elections.”
Security camera footage reportedly showed the employee taking the security fob and key from the desk and placing them in his pocket.
When questioned, Lingfield reportedly denied taking any items, but when officers visited his home the following day they found “part of a key” in his car.
The report said no security fobs were found.
Lingfield is reportedly ineligible to post bail because he is on probation.
