HARRISBURG, Pa. — Note: The video is from March 2022.
The former head of the Lancaster County Drug Task Force will serve eight to 22 months in prison for stealing $140,000 from the agency over a six-year span between 2014 and 2020, Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry announced Thursday.
In addition to his prison sentence, John Burkhart was also ordered to pay back the $140,000 in restitution and serve four years of probation, Henry said.
Burkhart was taken into custody after the sentencing hearing in Lancaster County Court. He will serve the prison term in Adams County, Henry said in a press release.
Burkhart pleaded guilty in March to charges of Theft by Deception and Theft by Failure to Make Required Disposition of Funds.
The Lancaster County Board of Commissioners issued the following statement in response to Burkhart's sentencing:
"This is a sad day in the history of the Lancaster County Drug Task Force. The criminal justice system is largely built around the proposition that police officers are telling the truth. Telling the truth in their reports. Telling the truth when they testify. And telling the truth when they speak to the public.
Fortunately, the vast, vast majority of police do tell the truth. But this case strikes at the heart of that trust that society places in police officers. Mr. Burkhart stole a large amount of money from the citizens of Lancaster County. He did this at the same time that he was also calling for more and more money for the Drug Task Force, opposing any attempts at transparency over the Drug Task Force finances, and blaming the County Commissioners for not providing enough funds to the Drug Task Force.
Moreover, he enlisted other officials in this scheme. His theft and his lies have caused great damage to the Lancaster County law enforcement community, County government, and the rule of law in Lancaster County. It is a serious matter."
Investigators from the Office of Attorney General determined that Burkhart stole seized cash and failed to deposit funds during the civil asset forfeiture process in criminal cases investigated by the Lancaster County Drug Task Force.
“Mr. Burkhart took an oath to serve and protect, but instead used his position of authority to steal funds that could have gone toward treatment initiatives and enforcement of drug trafficking laws,” Henry said. “I hope today’s sentence is a stern reminder that our office is committed to holding those accountable who break the law – regardless of their occupation or position of authority.”
The Office of Attorney General assumed jurisdiction over the case in April 2020 following a conflict referral from the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office.
On March 4, 2022, the Forty-Ninth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury issued a presentment outlining that Burkhart repeatedly stole money that had been seized during drug investigations.
Burkhart stole cash from the Lancaster County Drug Task Force safe where seized money was stored before it was formally forfeited and placed into the Lancaster County general fund bank account.
The Grand Jury learned that Burkhart had nearly exclusive control of the safe and its contents.
During the investigation, it was discovered that evidence envelopes containing seized cash were missing, which included funds seized from bank accounts. Funds seized were turned over to the county by the bank, and the county controller’s office would provide a check to the Drug Task Force in care of John Burkhart. Burkhart was solely responsible for cashing those checks and placing the money into the safe until they were forfeited by court order.
The Grand Jury also found that Burkhart was also solely responsible for recording and delivering cash deposits from the Drug Task Force to the county treasurer after the seized assets were forfeited by court order.
"My office is glad this has come to an end," Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams said in a statement. "This type of conduct by a colleague and supervisor could have impacted morale and performance but the members of that unit came together under interim leadership and continued to do the work they are enlisted to do – I give them a lot of credit for that.
"We’ve since hired a highly qualified sergeant to lead that unit and added two corporal positions to ensure the appropriate level of supervision and accountability in such an important unit."
The case was prosecuted by Chief Deputy Attorney General Brian Zarallo and Senior Deputy Attorney General Megan Madaffari.