A former elections department worker, Walter Alphonso Ringfield, has been indicted on multiple charges, including a major class two felony, after being linked to thefts spanning several locations in Maricopa County. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced the indictment following investigations by local law enforcement agencies. Ringfield faces one count each of computer tampering, theft, burglary, and criminal trespassing.
The burglary and theft charges are connected to two separate incidents, the Phoenix Art Museum and the Arizona state legislature. According to official sources, on May 20, Ringfield allegedly swiped $9500 worth of vintage jewelry from mannequins, and on June 15, he was caught on video taking memorabilia, including challenge coins and coasters, from a secure area of the legislature building. The Phoenix Police Department, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety submitted their cases to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office on July 1.
In a separate incident, on June 20, when Ringfield was employed at the Maricopa County Elections Department, he is accused of misappropriating a security fob from the Maricopa County Tabulation and Elections Center building. This case was promptly submitted by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office on June 24, shortly after the alleged act.
The accumulation of evidence from these three events has culminated in the current indictment against Ringfield, who is presently held non-bondable in custody. While these criminal charges must be navigated in court, where he will be afforded the opportunity to contest the claims, and, presumed innocent until proven guilty; the gravity of the accusations, particularly the implication of computer tampering within an elections facility, touches not just on law but on the integrity of electoral processes.
