Retired deputy crashed at least 11 weddings and stole newlywed gifts, Arizona cops say

A former sheriff’s deputy was arrested in Arizona after being accused of crashing weddings and stealing gifts from couples.

Landon Rankin sneaked into two April wedding receptions by posing as a guest and stole two wedding card boxes, which had an estimated value of $3000-6000 each, the Chandler Police Department said in a news release.

As the police investigated those two thefts, they found that Rankin was a suspect in similar incidents in Mesa and Gilbert, the release said. They also learned of a past incident in Pinal County. where Rankin was arrested and charged, the release said.

Rankin has been connected to 11 incidents, ABC15 reported.

Rankin was booked into the Maricopa County jail on two counts of third-degree burglary and multiple drug charges, after Chandler police found methamphetamine and fentanyl during his arrest.

Rankin worked for the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office for more than 20 years, AZ Family reported. He retired from the department in 2015 and was a reserve deputy until 2017, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office told McClatchy News.

One of the affected couples, Marcia and Michael O’Donnell, told AZ Family that Rankin blended in easily at their wedding.

“He had a shirt with a tie, slacks, dress shoes,” Michael O’Donnell told the outlet. “He’s the perfect late arriving guest, and he knew exactly what was going on, exactly when to be there, and pulled it off and out the door, he was gone.”

This story was originally published May 6, 2022 at 7:12 PM with the headline "Retired deputy crashed at least 11 weddings and stole newlywed gifts, Arizona cops say."