Arizona DPS employee resigns after arrest for alleged theft
May 3, 2019, 12:00 PM
Todd Whittard (Arizona Department of Public Safety Photo)
(Arizona Department of Public Safety Photo)
PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Public Safety employee who was arrested earlier this week for allegedly stealing gun parts from the department resigned on Thursday.
Todd Whittard, 52, resigned two days after he was arrested on theft, forgery and fraudulent schemes charges, Col. Frank Milstead told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Bruce St. James and Pamela Hughes on Friday.
Milstead said Whittard was not fired after his arrest because investigators were hoping to interview him to find out more information, “but instead of being interviewed he resigned.”
Whittard allegedly stole rifle magazines, ammunition and other firearm accessories from a lab storage facility on multiple occasions.
He worked for the department for 25 years and oversaw two units of the crime lab that dealt with fingerprints and firearms.
The department began investigating him in September after another employee brought it up.
“We’re under the impression that this may have been going on for a period of time,” Milstead said.
On the day of his arrest, authorities said Whittard was seen carrying a bag of magazines and ammunition from the storage facility to his truck.
It was not clear how many items Whittard allegedly stole from the department or what he did or planned to do with them, but Milstead believes there may have been a market for the items.
“I can’t imagine that he took all of this stuff for his own personal use,” Milstead said.
The investigation is ongoing.
