HARRISBURG, Pa. - The fired head of Lancaster County's drug task force was charged Tuesday with stealing more than $200,000 in money seized or forfeited by court orders during drug investigations over a six-year period.State prosecutors filed charges against John E.
Burkhart, 56, of theft and tampering with evidence and government records, as a grand jury alleged he had been "secretly pocketing money and diverting it to his own use."He was arraigned before a district judge in Lancaster on Tuesday afternoon, with bail set at $25,000, unsecured.
His lawyer, Hobie Crystle, declined comment.The presentment said Burkhart’s paycheck had been garnished for child support starting in 2010 and that "several witnesses testified that Burkhart often complained about being in debt and discussed the fact that he was financially strained."MORE HEADLINES:Burkhart was a former Lancaster city police officer when he was hired as the officer in charge of the county drug task force in 2011.
He reported to the district attorney and chief county detective.He was fired by Lancaster District Attorney Heather Adams in March 2020, allegedly for poor management skills and falsifying a report.