Ex-deputy accused of posing as wedding guest to steal gifts

CHANDLER, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities say 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. Chandler police say 54-year-old Landon Earl Rankin was arrested Wednesday in two thefts at private venues in April. Police say the two stolen boxes of wedding cards each contained between $3,000 and $6,000. The Pinal County Sheriff’s office says Rankin retired as a deputy in 2015. Court records didn’t list an attorney who could speak on his behalf.