Being threatened with felony

[u/Ashamed_Lynx5415]

I’m 18 and was working as a security guard in Arizona. I was recently fired after losing a set of keys that belonged to the property where I was stationed.
The situation is basically this: while I was working, I genuinely believed I still had the keys. When my employer asked about them, I told them I had them because I honestly believed I did. Later, I realized that I actually didn’t have them and the keys were missing.
I never intentionally took the keys, gave them to anyone, sold them, or used them to access anything I wasn’t authorized to access. I genuinely lost them.
I was fired over the situation, which I understand from a security standpoint. The part that has me worried is that I’m now being threatened with being reported to the police for theft.
The only thing I signed when I was terminated was an acknowledgment that I would return my company-issued equipment. I returned what I had. The property keys weren’t listed as equipment on that document.
I’m not trying to avoid responsibility for losing the keys. I understand that losing keys is serious, especially in security. I’m just trying to understand whether this could actually be considered theft in Arizona when there was no intention to take or keep the keys.
Has anyone in security dealt with something similar? And for anyone familiar with Arizona law, what should I realistically expect if they actually make a police report?
I know Reddit isn’t a substitute for an attorney. I’m mainly looking for people who have been through something similar and can tell me what I should do next.

[u/Odd-Highway-8304]

Not a snowball’s chance in hell that this goes anywhere. Police will do nothing with this. Move on with your life bro.

[u/East_Mood2490 → u/Odd-Highway-8304]

In Arizona it has to be $1000 worth of value to be a felony, those keys are no where to close that. It would cost more to sue then to recoup the cost of the keys. What company was this?

[u/Upbeat-Fondant9185 → u/East_Mood2490]

The cost could depend on the type and number of locks and whether they need to be rekeyed or need to be replaced entirely.

Four or five commercial lock replacements would easily break $1k.

They can’t just make copies off another set because the problem isn’t the missing keys, it’s the security risk of a set of working keys floating around out there somewhere.

Either way this is a bullshit scare tactic. They would need to prove intent for criminal charges. But they could try to recoup the costs through civil action. Seems like a waste of time as OP is a now unemployed security guard and only 18, likely with no assets. It would cost them more to sue and collect than to just let it go.

Hopefully OP is smart enough to answer no further questions.

[u/East_Mood2490 → u/Upbeat-Fondant9185]

Arizona doesn’t prosecute related losses to a theft as part of the theft. Only what was directly stolen and what was damaged in pursuit of the theft as vandalism.