Ex-sheriff’s deputy accused of crashing weddings and making off with thousands of dollars in cash gifts

The former deputy had been convicted in a similar case prior to the latest string of thefts

A former sheriff's deputy was arrested after allegedly crashing weddings and leaving with card boxes meant for the couples holding thousands of dollars.

According to police, Landon Earl Rankin, 54, a former Arizona sheriff's deputy, is accused of stealing wedding gifts from a dozen newlywed couples.

Mr Rankin was arrested on Wednesday and booked into the Maricopa County Jail, according to NBC News. He has been charged with two counts of third-degree burglary stemming from two incidents in April.

He is also facing several drug charges after police allegedly found him in possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl during his arrest.

Police first became aware of the thefts after a card box containing between $3,000 and $6,000 was stolen from a wedding on 15 April.

Another box containing the same estimated value was stolen from another reception about 15 days later.

Investigators began looking into the crimes and found that a similar theft had occurred in neighboring Pinal County, where Mr Rankin was formerly employed as a deputy with the Pinal County Sheriff's Office between 1994 and 2015. He retired that year but remained a reserve officer until 2017.

Mr Rankin was arrested and charged in that case, leading investigators to examine him as a potential suspect.

After they reviewed surveillance video from the thefts in Chandler, Mr Rankin was identified as the suspect.

In surveillance footage released by the Chandler police, Mr Rankin is allegedly pictured wearing a wedding outfit of a button down shirt and khaki pants while he is holding what appears to be a wedding card box wrapped in plastic.

Police believe Mr Rankin may have been crashing weddings and stealing items in several towns, and said they consider him a suspect in other incidents that occurred in Mesa and Gilbert.

“After Rankin’s arrest, police connected him to eleven incidents of wedding card box thefts in the east valley. Chandler police continue to investigate and contact victims in these cases," the department said in a release.

Mr Rankin remains jailed without bond.