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Arizona DES employee, Phoenix police officer arrested in connection to illegally-pawned weapons
Posted
By Chris Caraveo
Independent Newsmedia
A Phoenix police detective and an employee with the Arizona Department of Economic Security were arrested in connection with the pawning of weapons belonging to the latter agency.
At their initial court appearances Wednesday, 39-year-old Autumn Maya and her husband, 45-year old Michael Maya, were allowed release on their own recognizance.
Autumn Maya (MCSO)
Ms. Maya had been with the DES as a detective since 2016. Mr. Maya has been with the Phoenix Police Department for about 24 years.
According to records, Ms. Maya is connected to the theft of nearly $3,500 in cash from a safe at the DES offices in downtown Phoenix. The money had been placed into an envelope in 2016. However, a year later, an employee attempted to retrieve the money but found the envelope filled with pieces of white paper.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety took over the investigation into the money's disappearance. Along the way detectives learned Ms. Maya had gained access to the safe in order to conduct audits of DES-owned firearms located inside.
Ms. Maya repeatedly denied having anything to do with the money, records show. However, analysis of the envelope showed that she had to have touched the inside of it at some point due to her fingerprints being found on it.
Michael Maya (MCSO)
Authorities would later learn that Ms. Maya had illegally pawned several DES firearms.
When she was asked to return them, her husband, Michael Maya, appeared with her and handed the weapons over.
Mr. Maya became connected to trafficking in stolen state property for two of the firearms, records show.
The two were arrested April 4 in north Phoenix.
Both have court dates scheduled April 19 and 25.
Ms. Maya was placed on administrative leave. Phoenix police said the department is in the process of terminating Mr. Maya's employment.
Autumn Maya (MCSO)
Michael Maya (MCSO)
