Landon Earl Rankin was arrested in relation to two thefts of wedding gifts at private venues. Photo / AP
A retired sheriff's deputy posed as a guest at two Phoenix-area weddings to steal boxes of cards containing thousands of dollars, and is under investigation in a series of similar crimes, authorities said.
Landon Earl Rankin, 54, was arrested on Wednesday in relation to the thefts at private venues in
April and was being held without bond, according to Chandler police and court and jail records.
According to police, the two stolen boxes of wedding cards each contained between US$4600 ($7170) and $9300.
Rankin was a deputy with the Pinal County Sheriff's Office, joining the agency in 1994. He retired in 2015 but remained a reserve officer until 2017, office spokeswoman Lauren Reimer said.
Rankin was jailed on suspicion of two counts of burglary. He also was booked on several drug possession and drug paraphernalia charges because he had amphetamine and fentanyl on him when he was arrested, police said.
