Full Breakdown
Former Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s Ex-Bodyguard Seeks Her Help Paying Bail After $200,000 Home Damage
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
Matthew Ammel, a 39-year-old former U.S. Army Green Beret who served as Kyrsten Sinema’s Senate security aide, is alleged to have caused more than $200,000 in damage to Sinema’s $2 million Cave Creek residence on August 30. While Sinema was away, Ammel entered the home, threatened to “take her down,” and destroyed artwork and household items. A week after his September 17 arrest on a felony domestic-violence charge, Ammel asked a bail bondsman to contact Sinema and request that she post his $25,000 bond.
Background & Context
Sinema, who left the Senate in January 2025 and now works as a senior adviser at Hogan Lovells, began a romantic relationship with Ammel in late May 2024, after he joined her security detail in 2022. In September 2024 Sinema obtained a protection order against Ammel. He allegedly violated a no-contact condition by attempting to reach her through a mutual acquaintance, leading to his September 29 re-arrest in a Phoenix Cheesecake Factory parking lot.
Timeline
- August 30 – Ammel allegedly damages Sinema’s home, dumping 22 paintings into the pool and shattering bottles and a mirror.
- September 17 – Ammel is arrested; a grand jury indicts him on one count of felony criminal damage.
- September 22 – Sinema reports a police approach but declines to assist prosecutors.
- September 29 – Ammel is taken into Buckeye jail after violating release conditions.
- September 30 – Judge sets bond at $25,000; prosecutors request a cash-only bond of $100,000.
- October 1 – Ammel refuses arraignment; hearing rescheduled.
- October 15 (scheduled) – Judge orders Ammel be brought to court by any means necessary.
- February 11, 2027 (scheduled) – Trial date.
Data & Statistics
- Property damage: Estimated at more than $200,000, including $123,000 for 22 paintings thrown into the pool.
- Bond amounts: Initial bond $25,000; prosecutors seek $100,000 cash-only.
- Arrests: Two arrests – September 2024 for domestic-violence-related damage, September 29 for violating a no-contact order.
- Legal charges: One felony count of criminal damage; additional emergency motion filed by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
Official Statements & Responses
- Sinema’s attorney, Colleen Clase, filed a motion describing Ammel’s request for a bondsman call as indirect contact, witness harassment and intimidation, and argued that the bond should be denied or significantly increased.
- Maricopa County Deputy Attorney Bryn Barasha warned the state fears Ammel could retaliate if released, citing alleged threats to kill a judge and purchase tactical gear.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Most sources cite total damage exceeding $200,000; one report isolates $123,000 for the destroyed paintings, leaving the remainder unspecified.
- Details of Ammel’s alleged “stress-induced mental breakdown” and his communications with a mutual acquaintance are based on his own statements and have not been independently verified.
What’s Next
- A hearing on October 15 will decide whether to raise the bond amount or keep Ammel non-bondable.
- Ammel’s trial is set for February 11, 2027, where the felony criminal-damage charge will be adjudicated.
The case continues to unfold as prosecutors seek stricter release conditions and Sinema’s legal team works to limit any further contact between the former senator and her ex-bodyguard.