7 Baltimore officers accused of robbery, abuse of power
Seven Baltimore police officers were accused of robbing people, claiming fraudulent overtime, and filing false affidavits in a federal racketeering indictment.
On Wednesday, seven members of Baltimore’s Gun Trace Task Force were accused of robbing people, claiming fraudulent overtime, and filing false affidavits in a federal racketeering indictment.
According to the indictment, the officers would stop people regardless of whether or not they were suspected of a crime and would then take any money they found on those people. In one case, several officers reportedly took $1500 from a maintenance supervisor at a nursing home who was going to use the money to pay his rent.
“These are really robberies by people who are wearing police uniforms,” said Maryland US Attorney Rod Rosenstein.
At a press conference, the indictments were announced for Sgt. Wayne Jenkins and Detectives Momodu Gondo, Evodio Hendrix, Daniel Hersl, Jemell Rayam, Marcus Taylor and Maurice Ward. Rosenstein announced the indictments along with Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis and officials with the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration.
“These are 1930’s style gangsters as far as I’m concerned,” said Davis. “This is a punch in the gut for the Baltimore Police Department.”
The indictments were a result of an investigation that began over a year ago and included electronic surveillance of the officers involved.
