Arizona DPS employee arrested for stealing rifle magazines, ammunition
Apr 30, 2019, 3:30 PM
Todd Whittard (Arizona Department of Public Safety Photo)
(Arizona Department of Public Safety Photo)
PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Public Safety arrested one of its employees Monday for alleged theft, forgery and fraudulent schemes.
Col. Frank Milstead said at a Tuesday press conference that Todd Whittard, 52, of Chandler oversaw the Latent Prints and Firearms Units of the department’s crime lab and worked for DPS for 25 years.
Milstead said DPS began investigating Whittard in September 2018 when he was seen removing rifle magazines, ammunition and other firearm accessories from a lab storage facility on multiple occasions.
On the day of his arrest, Whittard was seen carrying a bag of magazines and ammunition from the storage facility to his truck and leaving the premises, according to Milstead.
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He said officers served two search warrants Monday night for Whittard’s car and his home, and the items from that day were recovered as well as additional items.
Milstead said all of the items were either purchased by DPS or were recovered or seized by troopers.
He said it is unclear how many items Whittard removed and what he planned to do with them.
“We have had problems in the past with firearms being removed. We have prosecuted employees; we have fired employees,” Milstead said.
“This administration will continue to hold the employees to the highest standards for policing and continue to build trust with this community and the state of Arizona for what we do.”
