Deputies say Matthew Ammel caused more than $200,000 in damage, including throwing about 22 paintings into a backyard swimming pool.
CAVE CREEK, AZ — A former bodyguard for former U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema faces a felony criminal charge after authorities said he entered her Cave Creek home while she was away and caused more than $200,000 in damage to artwork and other property.
Matthew Ammel, 39, was arrested in September in connection with the Aug. 30 incident, according to court records and reports citing a probable cause statement from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. Ammel is accused of aggravated criminal damage. The allegations have not been proven in court, and the criminal case remains pending.
Sinema told investigators that Ammel, whom she described as a former boyfriend, was inside her home while she was out of town, according to the probable cause statement. She reported the damage to deputies Sept. 3, four days after the alleged incident. Authorities said Sinema provided investigators with text messages, video recordings and surveillance footage as part of the investigation.
According to the court paperwork, Sinema told deputies that Ammel demanded that she post a video to her account on X. She alleged that he threatened to damage her paintings at 10-minute intervals if she did not make the post. Publicly available reports on the probable cause statement did not disclose what the requested video contained or explain why Ammel allegedly wanted it posted.
Sinema did not make the post, according to the probable cause statement. Investigators allege Ammel then removed about 22 paintings from the walls of the home and threw them into the backyard swimming pool. Deputies said the paintings had a combined reported value of $123,015. Another painting was found near the home’s entrance and had been marked with black lettering, according to reports citing the court documents.
Authorities also alleged that Ammel broke expensive bottles inside the residence, leaving shattered glass in areas of the home and pool. Deputies reported seeing a broken mirror, places where paintings had been removed and artwork in the swimming pool when they investigated. The total estimated property damage, including the paintings, exceeded $200,000, according to the probable cause statement.
Ammel previously worked as a member of Sinema’s security detail. Their relationship has also become an issue in a separate civil lawsuit filed in North Carolina by Ammel’s former wife. Sinema acknowledged in a court filing earlier this year that her relationship with Ammel became romantic and intimate in May 2024. She has contested claims in the civil case and previously sought its dismissal on jurisdictional grounds.
The North Carolina case is separate from the Arizona criminal proceeding involving the damage at Sinema’s home. The civil lawsuit accuses Sinema of interfering with Ammel’s marriage under North Carolina’s alienation-of-affection law. Sinema has disputed allegations in that litigation and requested a jury trial. The civil claims do not establish whether Ammel committed the conduct alleged in the Arizona criminal case.
Sinema served one term in the U.S. Senate after winning election in 2018 as a Democrat. She changed her party registration to independent in 2022 and did not seek reelection in 2024. Ammel later became part of her Senate staff after previously working on her security detail.
Reports citing court records said Ammel was released from custody under conditions that included electronic monitoring and an order barring contact with Sinema. A preliminary hearing was reported as scheduled for Oct. 5. The charge remains an allegation unless and until it is proven in court.
Author note: Last updated September 24, 2026.