Man accused in election center theft now charged with stealing items at Arizona Senate building

PHOENIX — The man accused of stealing from the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center (MCTEC) last week also committed theft at the Arizona Senate building, authorities said Thursday.

Walter Ringfield, 27, is said to have been seen on security footage entering a restricted building and taking items from a security staff member’s desk on June 19, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Ringfield took challenge coins and other desk accessories, DPS said.

Detectives found the items at Ringfield’s residence in Phoenix, authorities said.

The theft allegedly occurred a day before Ringfield was accused of stealing a security fob and keys from MCTEC.

Ringfield faces charges of trespassing, theft and burglary for the Senate incident.

Who is Walter Ringfield?

Ringfield was a temporary elections worker on release as part of a felony diversion program in a 2023 case, according to court records.

The Maricopa County Elections Department said Ringfield underwent a background check, which didn’t show any criminal convictions.

In the MCTEC case, Ringfield was seen on surveillance camera footage taking the missing items from a desk around 5 p.m. Thursday, according to court documents.

Detectives served a search warrant at Ringfield’s Phoenix home Friday and found the security fob inside a bedroom dresser and the wrist lanyard in his car, according to the arrest report.

Interim Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner said Tuesday he didn’t believe the MCTEC incident was politically motivated.

“We’re going to leave no stone unturned,” Skinner said. “We’re going to make sure that we do evaluate all the evidence that was out there and ensure that we follow up on anything that may be potentially directing us somewhere else or [to] other actors who may be involved in this, but at this point we do not have anything that indicates [political motivation].”

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