Former Arizona deputy accused of crashing weddings, stealing gifts

ARIZONA — A former Arizona deputy has been accused of crashing weddings and stealing gifts at multiple wedding venues, police say.

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Landon Earl Rankin, 54, was arrested on May 4 for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from couples on their wedding day, according to a Chandler Police Department news release.

Police say two of the incidents happened fifteen days apart. One on April 15, when they say Rankin attended a wedding reception, dressed up as a guest, and stole the wedding card box with around $3,000 to $5,000 inside. Another similar incident occurred on April 30. Chandler police say he has been connected with a total of eleven incidents reported so far in the East Valley.

KPNX says Rankin was arrested by investigators and allegedly admitted to crashing some wedding ceremonies, saying it was because he wanted to listen to the couples exchanging vows. When they arrested Rankin, officers apparently found a couple of the stolen checks. He was also in possession of meth and fentanyl, according to Chandler police.

During the investigation, police learned that Rankin was a former investigator for the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO). KPNX says that according to his LinkedIn page, he had been with PCSO for over 20 years before he retired in 2015.

KNXV says Rankin’s arrest on Wednesday was in connection with wedding gift thefts, and investigators learned that he was apparently charged in a similar case in the Pinal County area. If you believe you are a victim or have any information about these cases, investigators are asking you to call them at 480-782-4130.

Rankin has been booked on recommended charges of two counts of third-degree burglary, possession of dangerous drugs, possession of a narcotic drug and possession of paraphernalia.

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