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FORMER DEPUTY, FUGITIVE DAUGHTER BOTH ARRESTED SUNDAY NIGHT

His arrest for involvement with murder for hire conspiracy

Hers for warrants after violating drug treatment order

SIERRA VISTA - In a twist worthy of a Hollywood movie, the 23 year old daughter of former Cochise County Sheriff’s deputy Israel Burkholder was taken into custody Sunday, the same day her father was arrested in a murder-for-hire plot. Both arrests were made by the Sierra Vista Police Dept. According to corporal Tim Wachtel, Jasmine Burkholder’s arrest occurred in Sierra Vista's Fry Town area and was related to five outstanding warrants.

Those warrants were ordered October 17 by judge Wallace Hoggatt of the Cochise County Superior Court after Jasmine Burkholder was accused of violating terms of her probation sentence, which Hoggatt handed down September 16. The Cochise County Adult Probation Dept. filed a petition October 14 to revoke Burkholder’s probation after she failed to participate in drug treatment and left the treatment facility where she was ordered to reside.

Burkholder was sentenced to three years of intensive probation and drug treatment in

connection to five criminal cases that involved credit card theft, shoplifting, drug

paraphernalia, and identify theft. The sentence was part of a plea agreement Burkholder

signed July 12 that required her to participate in the Women’s Transition Project by

residing at a facility for treatment of her heroin addiction. Court records note

Burkholder was pregnant at the time.

She was allowed to be released from custody pending formal sentencing provided she

participate in the program. However, sometime between July 12 and August 8 the

Court ordered bench warrants be issued for Burkholder’s arrest after she was found to

have violated the terms of her presentence release. She was taken into custody and

returned to jail pending formal sentencing.

Prior to sentencing, two prosecutors asked judge Hoggatt to consider rejecting the plea agreement because Burkholder “did not keep up her end of the bargain.” At the time, defense attorney Peter A. Kelley conceded his client violated the conditions of her release but he believed her actions did not warrant rejection of the plea deal.

Kelley noted that because of Burkholder’s addiction (she admitted to using three to four grams of heroin a day) long term treatment and supervision was a better alternative than prison. In the end Hoggatt agreed and went with the probation option.

Now that Burkholder is back in custody, the probation department must review each of

her cases to determine the best course of action. She will likely appear before a judge

within the month for a disposition hearing on the revocation petitions, at which time she

could face a prison sentence in one or more of the five cases.

Sometime after signing her plea agreement Burkholder reportedly gave birth to a boy,

who is not currently in her custody. She also gave birth to a girl in May 2012.

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Contact reporter Terri Jo Neff at 520-508-3660 and cjw_media@yahoo.com


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