Controversial Nye County captain placed on administrative leave

Nye County Sheriff’s Office Capt. David Boruchowitz, who was the focus of Las Vegas Review-Journal investigations last year, has been placed on administrative leave in anticipation of a federal grand jury investigation into possible misconduct, the sheriff confirmed Thursday.

Boruchowitz has been controversial in the county for years because of allegations involving conflicts of interest, inappropriate conduct with probationers and porn matinees held at the Sheriff’s Office with seized evidence.

“The grand jury is coming up …” Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill said in a phone interview Thursday. “I decided to pull the trigger. It’s to maintain the integrity (of the department) and keep public opinion on our side.”

The captain was placed on paid leave effective Thursday, and he is prohibited from conducting sheriff’s business, wearing his uniform or possessing county intelligence and other information, according to an email McGill sent to his staff.

Boruchowitz made about $214,000 in pay and benefits in 2021, which was the most recent data available on TransparentNevada.com.

He did not respond to a voicemail left on his cellphone or an email sent to his personal account.

History of controversy

In February 2022, the Review-Journal raised questions about why Boruchowitz was repeatedly promoted despite a state investigation into him showing porn in the office and an FBI investigation into whether he had inappropriate relationships with people at the jail.

The State Department of Public Safety’s Office of Professional Responsibility and the FBI turned their investigations over to then-Sheriff Sharon Wehrly, but instead of firing Boruchowitz, she promoted him several times. Wehrly lost her re-election bid in November to McGill.

The RJ story also questioned Boruchowitz’s actions in arresting then-Valley Electric Association CEO Angela Evans in 2019 for allegedly embezzling from the utility when he was running a group to unseat the company’s board and contemplated running for a board seat himself. The board seat paid $28,000 a year, but he decided not to run after the Evans investigation.

Then-Nye County District Attorney Chris Arabia dismissed the charges against Evans, finding that she did not direct staff to move a utility poll on her property. Records show that she did not even own the property when the poll was moved. Evans is suing the county, alleging her rights were violated.

FBI raids Sheriff’s Office

The FBI raided the Sheriff’s Office after the Review-Journal story ran, with the county releasing video of agents waiting to come into the office and serve search warrants in August.

The FBI declined to comment at the time, but sources said agents were looking for Boruchowitz’s computer and phone.

Boruchowitz, at the time, denied that the raid had anything to do with him.

McGill said the grand jury is expected to start its work on July 17, though he has not been notified about what charges might be considered.

The sheriff said Boruchowitz had been notified by the FBI that he was under investigation.

“They haven’t spoken to me,” McGill added.

Representatives of the U.S. attorney’s office did not respond to a request for comment Thursday, and the FBI declined comment.

“While individuals are free to speak about their interactions with the FBI, we do not, as a matter of practice, discuss or describe any contact we have or allegedly have with individuals,” FBI spokeswoman Sandy Breault wrote in an email exchange.

Contact Arthur Kane at akane@reviewjournal.com and follow @ArthurMKane on Twitter. Kane is editor of the Review-Journal’s investigative team, focusing on reporting that holds leaders and agencies accountable and exposes wrongdoing.