A former Cochise County deputy arrested in a murder-for-hire conspiracy resigned from the agency last year after it was discovered he took prescription painkillers while on duty, documents show.
Israel Burkholder, 43, was arrested by the Sierra Vista Police Department Nov. 6, after an undercover investigation revealed he was trying to hire someone to kill a local man, said department spokesman Cpl. Tim Wachtel.
Burkholder quit his job at the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office in March 2015, after spending 11 years with the force, according to documents obtained by the Arizona Peace Officers Standards and Training Board, the state agency that certifies law enforcement officers.
When an officer is found to have violated department policies, it’s mandatory the agency report the violations to the AZPOST.
On Wednesday, the AZPOST will review Burkholder’s case and decide if there’s cause to initiate proceedings to revoke his peace officer certification.
The Sheriff’s Office began an internal investigation in February 2015, after a deputy notified his sergeant that he’d given Burkholder prescription pain pills while both men were on duty, documents show.
In December 2014, Burkholder told another deputy that he wasn’t feeling well and was out of his prescription migraine medication, asking the man if he had any narcotic painkillers.
On two occasions, the coworker obliged, giving him oxycodone pills, but after the second time, he became uncomfortable and reported the situation up the chain of command, the documents show.
Investigators also interviewed a civilian employee who told them that he’d given Burkholder Vicodin four times.
