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EXCLUSIVE – A impermanent predetermination idiosyncratic charged successful transportation to 2 security-related thefts that happened conscionable a time isolated past period astatine the Arizona Senate Building and the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center was seen smiling with respective Democratic politicians successful resurfaced societal media posts viewed by Fox News Digital, and participated successful Democrat primaries successful Arizona during astatine slightest 2 past cycles.
Walter Alphonso Jamel Ringfield Jr., 27, of Phoenix, is facing aggregate charges, including theft, transgression damage, trespassing and burglary, arsenic Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner said past week that investigators were combing done "a batch of integer evidence," including Ringfield’s past societal media activity, and vowed to "leave nary chromatic unturned" erstwhile determining whether the crimes were politically motivated.
Although authorities person not provided an update connected their probe since then, screenshots viewed by Fox News Digital amusement Ringfield posed successful respective photos helium shared connected societal media successful 2020, 2021 and 2022 with Democratic politicians, including U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.; Tempe, Arizona, Mayor Corey Woods; and then-Tempe constabulary main Jeffrey Glover, who was aboriginal appointed by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs arsenic manager of the Arizona Department of Public Safety successful 2023. Arizona DPS is the bureau that accused Ringfield of stealing from a information guard's table successful the authorities Senate gathering past month.
In 1 post, Ringfield described the politicians arsenic "some of my friends."
The photos shared connected Instagram showed a smiling Ringfield besides sharing his acquisition gathering Jevin Hodge, a erstwhile Democratic authorities typical who resigned earlier this twelvemonth amid sexual battle allegations, the erstwhile Democratic politician of Tempe, Neil Giuliano, and Berdetta Hodge, a subordinate of the Tempe City Council whose presumption is nonpartisan.
"A leftist activist, with a past of run-ins with the law, allegedly stole the cardinal to illegally entree the instrumentality that counts votes from Maricopa’s predetermination system," RNC Election Integrity communications manager Claire Zunk said successful an exclusive connection to Fox News Digital. "Democrats astatine champion person turned a unsighted oculus portion insisting the predetermination is secure. At worst, was this a planned menace successful a agelong enactment of utmost predetermination interference by Democrats? What was the motive, 1 period earlier the primary? Arizonans indispensable person impervious their ballots are harmless and Americans a strategy wherever these threats are not tolerated."
Ringfield was arrested extracurricular his Phoenix location connected June 21. Just a time earlier, helium was seen connected information footage walking past a table with aggregate tabulators and pocketing a information fob and lanyard, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. Ringfield was confronted by his employer, and detectives who served a hunt warrant astatine his location recovered the information fob from a dresser successful the maestro bedroom.
Walter Ringfield was seen connected information footage pocketing a information fob astatine the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center connected June 20, 2024. (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office)
At a property league held the adjacent week, Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates admitted Ringfield was successful a felony diversion program, accusation helium said did not aboveground successful a inheritance cheque conducted earlier Ringfield was hired arsenic a impermanent predetermination idiosyncratic in Maricopa County.
Court records amusement Ringfield was successful the programme pursuing a September 2023 apprehension for allegedly pocketing $1,800 successful currency implicit the people of a displacement moving arsenic a cashier astatine a Phoenix market store.
In total, Ringfield has had 4 transgression filings against him for unspecified offenses, including 1 felony and 1 postulation infraction. That includes successful 2019 erstwhile helium had a forcible entry/detainer filed against him. Court documents besides database a anterior apprehension for disorderly behaviour and fighting.
In effect to Ringfield's apprehension precocious past month, the RNC and the Arizona GOP dispatched attorneys and observers connected the crushed successful Maricopa County "as portion of our predetermination integrity programme to stitchery accusation and beforehand transparency arsenic the concern developed," RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said successful a June 25 statement. "The RNC and AZGOP person a agelong past of engaging successful Maricopa County predetermination issues some successful the tract and successful the courtroom, and yesterday's events are an illustration of our predetermination integrity program's capableness to supply real-time ineligible effect erstwhile issues originate astatine tabulation centers."
Under the grip @alphonsosundevil connected Instagram, Ringfield shared a selfie with Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., connected Sept. 9, 2022. (Fox News Digital )
"This incidental raises superior questions astir predetermination information successful Arizona that indispensable beryllium answered – we volition beryllium constructively engaged with Maricopa County officials to guarantee that the remedies to this information breach sufficiently code our concerns," Whatley added astatine the time.
Two days aft the property conference, the Arizona Department of Public Safety revealed that Ringfield had been tied to different theft from the Arizona State Senate Building.
Troopers reviewed information footage that showed a suspect, aboriginal identified arsenic Ringfield, entering a restricted country of the gathering and removing galore items from a information unit member’s table connected June 19, the time earlier the theft astatine the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center. State constabulary said the stolen items included situation coins and different table accessories.
Under the grip @alphonsosundevil connected Instagram, Ringfield shared a selfie with Kelly connected Sept. 9, 2022, according to a screenshot viewed by Fox News Digital.
In a Jan. 17, 2022, Instagram post, Walter Ringfield carries a motion with Martin Luther King Jr.’s representation that reads, "The imagination lives on… Voting rights now." (Fox News Digital)
The caption said, "I met 2 existent astonishing and inspiring US Senators today," tagging Kelly and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who was not pictured successful the post.
In different photograph shared connected Jan. 17, 2022, Ringfield, wearing a disguise with different volunteers, is seen carrying a bluish motion with Martin Luther King Jr.’s representation that reads, "The imagination lives on… Voting rights now."
The caption said helium was blessed to person walked successful the MLK parade and thanked Berdetta Hodge, besides the erstwhile president of the Tempe Union High School District governing board, adding: "It’s an grant and a privilege interning for you this semester."
On Dec. 18, 2021, Ringfield shared a photograph smiling with a radical of politicians, according to a screenshot viewed by Fox News Digital. The relationship "@alphonsosundevil" is present private.
"With a grin connected my face, it’s clip to present immoderate of my friends," Ringfield wrote then.
Walter Ringfield seen successful a Dec. 18, 2021, Instagram station with Tempe, Arizona, Mayor Corey Woods; then-Tempe constabulary main Jeffrey Glover; Jevin Hodge, a erstwhile Democratic authorities representative; the erstwhile Democratic politician of Tempe, Neil Giuliano; and Berdetta Hodge, a subordinate of the Tempe City Council. (Fox News Digital)
Ringfield wrote that it was his 2nd clip gathering Woods, the archetypal clip being the nighttime erstwhile helium became mayor-elect, and the caption described Woods arsenic "the archetypal Black politician of tempe." The caption praised Glover arsenic "Tempe’s archetypal achromatic constabulary chief." Ringfield said helium was "honored to beryllium interning" for Jevin Hodge adjacent semester, adding: "Happy day to my friend."
For Giuliano, the caption said helium is "6-0 successful governmental campaigns" and "has met each president but 1 since helium has been successful the governmental realm."
"He’s truthful awesome," Ringfield wrote. "It was a blessing to beryllium successful the beingness of bully friends."
On March 10, 2020, Walter Ringfield shared a photograph with Tempe, Arizona, Mayor-elect Corey Woods to Instagram. (Fox News Digital )
On March 10, 2020, Ringfield shared a photograph with his thumb up smiling adjacent to Wood astatine different event, according to different screenshot.
"With a little infinitesimal I learned a batch from Tempe’s archetypal achromatic mayor," Ringfield wrote, congratulating Woods. "I’m looking for a relation model."
Other screenshots of his societal media enactment showed Ringfield supporting the Black Lives Matter question and asking followers whether they were pro-choice oregon pro-life connected abortion.
On TRUTH Social, erstwhile President Trump’s societal media platform, Ringfield appears to person posted from a antithetic handle, @imjustheresoiwontbefined."
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A screenshot of his screen photograph shows Ringfield again smiling with a radical of people, including Democrat Jevin Hodge.
Voting information showed Ringfield voted successful the Democratic primaries successful 2022 and 2020 successful Arizona.
He made 2 donations of conscionable $5 each to ActBlue, the starring fundraising level for Democratic campaigns and groups nationwide, successful 2022, according to information from the Federal Election Commission.
Fox News Digital reached retired to Kelly, Klobuchar, Woods, Glover, Giuliano and Jevin and Berdetta Hodge for comment, arsenic good arsenic the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, but did not instantly perceive back.
Danielle Wallace is simply a newsman for Fox News Digital covering politics, crime, constabulary and more. Story tips tin beryllium sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and connected Twitter: @danimwallace.
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