Highlights
- Connor Burgess, 32, was sentenced May 20 to six years in prison in Maricopa County Superior Court.
- Burgess stole more than $26,000 in golf clubs and sports merchandise from stores across the Phoenix area between October and November 2025.
- Investigators linked him to nine stores including PGA TOUR Superstores, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Scheels through surveillance video and online resale listings.
- Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said the case is part of a broader push to prosecute organized retail theft in the county.
Connor Burgess, a 32-year-old Phoenix man, was sentenced to six years in prison May 20 in Maricopa County Superior Court after pleading no contest to one count of organized retail theft tied to a golf equipment theft ring that prosecutors say netted more than $26,000 in stolen merchandise.
Burgess stole golf clubs and other merchandise from stores across the Phoenix area between October and November 2025, according to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office as reported by KTAR. Among the thefts: seven golf clubs worth more than $4,200 taken from a Dick's Sporting Goods. Investigators linked Burgess to six additional thefts at PGA TOUR Superstores, a second Dick's Sporting Goods, and a Scheels store through surveillance video and online listings where stolen merchandise was allegedly offered for sale.
The case drew coverage from ABC15, 12News, and AZFamily at the time of his arrest, each reporting that Burgess allegedly attempted to sell the stolen gear through online listings.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, in a news release, said organized retail theft raises costs for families and puts businesses and employees at risk, and that anyone who comes to Maricopa County to steal from retailers will be identified, prosecuted, and held accountable.
The sentencing follows at least two other high-profile organized retail theft convictions in Maricopa County in recent months, including a man who received 6.5 years for a separate retail theft ring and another sentenced for a $2 million scheme spanning Phoenix and Tucson, per KTAR's related coverage.
No sentencing date for any co-defendants was included in court records cited by KTAR.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- ktar.com retrieved 21/05/2026 20:31
- ABC15 Arizona retrieved 21/05/2026 20:31
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 21/05/2026 20:31. Every claim traces to a source.
