BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A federal judge handed down lengthy prison sentences Thursday to two former Baltimore City Police . Its an old story line that somehow never gets old: the travails of gritty Baltimore, a city with more than its share of poverty, drug addiction and violent crime. Leader Of Corrupt Baltimore PD Task Force Sentenced To 25 Years Behind Bars. THEY NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THE CITY WAS HELD ACCOUNTABLE. At the time, the officers maintained that their activities were all in furtherance of legitimate police activity in an effort to develop sources to lead to arrests of drug distributors, said prosecutors, adding the officers claimed they used their ill-gotten money to pay informants who could help them catch those higher up in the drug gangs. Unit members were given paid time off that wasnt on the books in return for getting guns off the street, Ward said, according to WBAL-TV. "We didn't go above and beyond to make sure we were checking, to make sure that those people sworn to serve and protect hadn't turned themselves into the biggest gang in Baltimore," Scott said.| VIDEO BELOW: Baltimore pays out $575K in latest GTTF settlementMore GTTF settlement coverage from 11 News: This content is imported from Twitter. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WBAL-TV. Federal agents found unregistered assault rifles, cocaine residue and razors in his home. BPDs targeted policing of certain Baltimore neighborhoods with minimal oversight or accountability disproportionately harms African-American residents, the report says. However, after clearing the scene, the officer stole drugs from the pharmacy, gave them to a drug dealer, and split the profits from the dealers sale of them. He was most recently assigned to work on policy for the federal consent decree. O n a humid summer day in 2004, Davon Mayer stepped out of his house on Bennett Place in the heart of Baltimore.Sixteen years old, Davon was short, plump and baby-faced, still more of a kid than . Baltimore police officer Julie Pitocchelli, who was a member with the department since 1994, Baltimore Police Detective Carmine Vignola, Sgt. Middleton was originally charged with assault, but charges were dropped. Snell, 34, worked in the Baltimore police department from 2005 to 2008 and was working as an officer in Philadelphia at the time he was arrested. Taylor was characterised at trial as the youngest and most inexperienced officer on the task force. Henrietta Middleton and faces up to 10 years in prison. The victim, Dashawn Mcgrier, suffered a broken jaw, broken ribs and other ailments while spending three days in a hospital. The items were shown to the jury. One witness said they saw Middleton being punched in the face. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang agreed with arguments put forward by attorneys for William King and Antonio Murray earlier this year under the First Step Act, noting that since their convictions in 2006 Congress has passed sentencing reforms that would have led to significantly shorter sentences if the officers were sentenced today. Stolen drugs were regularly delivered to Stepps home, he said, where they were stashed before being resold on the street. Where are they now? Baltimore officials approved a $6 million payout in what is one of the city's largest settlements reached in the Gun Trace Task Force police misconduct case.The settlement goes to the family of a retired construction worker who was killed in a crash involving former Baltimore police officers who were part of the disbanded task force.Shirley Johnson and her brothers and sisters relied on patience as they sought an apology and accountability almost 13 years after a crash killed their father, Elbert Davis Sr., and seriously injured their mother, Phosa Cain. A veteran police sergeant filmed allegedly arresting, threatening and harassing innocent men faces a slew of charges. Discovery Company. Former Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa arrives at the Edward A. Garmatz federal courthouse. OSullivan remains suspended from the police force. "We think the settlement is warranted due to the egregious facts in this case," said John Solter, an attorney for the family. For the series of police commissioners and mayors that Baltimore went through during the units crime spree, those statistics offered a good enough proxy for progress. The scandal broke at a time of struggle and high tensions between Baltimore community members and the police department. She sentenced him to 9-months in jail after finding Williams guilty of second-degree assault and official misconduct. Be informed of breaking news as it happens and notified about other don't-miss content with our free news alerts. Longtime Democratic operative Patrick Doherty was sentenced Wednesday to more than five years in federal prison for a wide range of corruption schemes stemming from a sprawling federal bribery . Instead of getting rid of crime, police officers in the GTTF engaged in it, against the communities they were supposed to serve. The conviction of King and Murray resulted from the Baltimore-based Stop Snitchin' campaign in which the two officers were identified on videotape for being involved in drug dealing. The employee said that, when he demanded a search warrant, one officer told him he looked like somebody that needed to be robbed.. Their business model eventually didnt work. Its Time to Radically Rethink Public Safety. A veteran police sergeant filmed allegedly arresting, threatening and harassing. The corruption has cost Baltimore taxpayers more than $13 million in settlements with victims and hundreds of cases the corrupt officers worked on had to be thrown out. plea agreement for misconduct in office and drunk-driving charges. Baltimore, Maryland - Federal agents arrested seven Baltimore City Police Department (BPD) officers today for a racketeering conspiracy and racketeering offenses, including robbery, extortion, and overtime fraud. Instead, they became hunters.. That is why this trial in Baltimore is so critical not just for what it reveals in and of itself, but also for showing the public that misconduct does not go unchecked.. Six other Baltimore police officers have pled guilty to similar charges. Vignola was not a member of the task force but was accused by prosecutors of planting the gun to justify a wrongful arrest by the squads leader. EPIC ID REFUSAL | how cops get off0:00 - Video 1 | I tell a cop "you're dism. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. city agreed to a consent decree on sweeping police reforms. the epic corruption and fraud that included using his badge to send innocent people to jail. BALTIMORE, MD Seven Baltimore police officers were arrested Wednesday on federal racketeering charges, U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein announced. The elite Baltimore cops who became criminals. REPORTER: THE WRECK HAPPENED IN APRIL 2010 A CAR CHASED FOR ABOUT 45 SECONDS BY MEMBERS OF THE DISBANDED GUN TRACE TASK FORCE CRASHED INTO THEIR PARENTS CAR. Rivera-Martinez had continuously hit the teen with his taser despite Townes stopping, turning around, kneeling and putting his hands in the air. Ethan Newberg, a 24-year veteran, was charged with assault, false imprisonment and misconduct after chasing bystander Lee Dotson, who complained about police tactics on another man officers detained during a warrant check in May. Jemell Rayam is serving 12 years and is currently in a secure medical detention facility in Minnesota. White was found shot to death . | VIDEO BELOW: Family seeks justice from city after crash involving GTTF, Shirley Johnson on $6 million settlement with Baltimore City involving GTTF officer misconduct and 2010 crash that killed her father Elbert Davis Sr. and seriously injured her mother Phosa Cain who later died from her injuries. OSullivan remains suspended from the police force. He also stuck a gun in a womans face during a separate break-in incident in which guns, drugs, cash and jewelry were taken. "We waited so long for justice. Baltimore leaders agreed Wednesday, March 1, 2023 to a $6 million settlement agreement in the case of a driver who was killed during a 2010 police chase involving Gun Trace Task Force officers . Baltimore officials approved a $6 million payout in what is one of the city's largest settlements reached in the Gun Trace Task Force police misconduct case. Who were the members of the Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF)? This includes a Philadelphia police officer, Eric Snell, who had previously been a part of the BPD and had ties to the GTTF. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our. Hendrix admitted stealing money on several occasions, with his fellow officers, during traffic stops and while executing search warrants. The case began in 2015 when the DEA found. We will investigate bad policing or criminal policing Officers will be indicted and theyll be brought into court and theyll be held accountable.. The jury reached the verdict after deliberating for less than two days. Henrietta Middleton outside of a strip club in August 2018. Gladstones indictment came amidst the continuing investigation into police corruption allegations related to the Gun Trace Task Force scandal, in which eight city officers were convicted of racketeering offenses for robbing people using their badge. The family of Davis and Cain filed a lawsuit claiming civil rights violations, and the trial was set for May. >> WE DID NOT GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO MAKE SURE AND CHECK IN CHECKING THAT THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE SWORN TO PROTECT AND SERVE HADNT TURNED THEMSELVES IN THE BIGGEST GANG IN BALTIMORE. "He was much more interested in having a movie producer come in and sit with us during the interview. Did you encounter any technical issues? The indictment was returned on February 23, 2017, and unsealed today following the execution of arrest and search warrants. Be informed of breaking news as it happens and notified about other don't-miss content with our free news alerts. Baltimore, Md.--9/23/19-- BCPD Det. and Rayam all agreed to cooperate with the (DOJ) and testified against Hersl and Taylor. Amid protests following the killing of Freddie Gray in 2015, one GTTF officer allegedly prevented looting that was happening at a pharmacy. When he was indicted, Rivera-Martinez was suspended without pay. Baltimore Police. One officer routinely carried a BB gun as insurance, knowing he could always drop it at a crime scene if he got into a jam by, say, shooting an unarmed suspect. Former police commissioner Darryl De Sousa was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison in New Jersey after pleading guilty in April to failing to file federal tax returns. Last week, prosecutors tacked on 32 new, but similar charges after reviewing video taken from Newbergs body warn camera over several months. Baltimore police officers accused of rampant crime and corruption Feb. 9, 2018 04:35. You cant rob people just because theyre drug dealers, he said. Please enter valid email address to continue. A jury has found two former Baltimore police detectives guilty for their role in a sprawling police corruption scandal, bringing the total number of convicted officers to eight. 2. Hamilton testified that Hersl and three other officers later searched his home and walked out with at least $25,000 in cash. A responsible law enforcement apparatus in Baltimore would have chosen to examine its failures. Murphy was assigned to the Northeastern District and was originally hired by the department in 1996. In one instance, Allers stole $10,000 he found while searching the home of a man named "D.R.". >> IT WAS A GUT PUNCH TO THE FAMILY. A 2016 Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into the BPD found that significant levels of abuse and corruption within the department had gone on for years. The justice system will rectify things, said Stephen M. Schenning, acting US Attorney for the District of Maryland, according to CNN affiliate WBFF. Stepp testified that Hersl shared in the proceeds from the drug sales, WBAL-TV reported, and alleged that Taylor participated in the theft of 30 pounds of marijuana. Sgt. (Kenneth K. Lam). Gentil resigned in October after working on the force for 24 years. As the former head of the GTTF, Allers admitted stealing cash from civilians on several occasions in the course of his police work, along with officers Hersl, Rayam and Gondo. [[Crime] Horrific violence': Three fatally shot Tuesday in Baltimore, including well-known community leader]. Write to Josiah Bates at josiah.bates@time.com. Evodio Hendrix, who pled guilty to charges, testified that the sergeant had all that stuff in the car in case he ran into a monster, someone with a lot of money and drugs, WBAL-TV reported. Baltimore residents tell federal judge they're all for police reform. >> EVERY TIME SPEAK ABOUT IT, YOU GET CHOKED UP, AND TEARS START COMING OUT. Former Baltimore police officer Michael Gentil was sentenced to five years in prison for drawing a gun on a person who threw tea on his car while he was off-duty on Edison Highway in East Baltimore. The unit had the most urgent crime-fighting mission in a city where many neighborhoods are inundated with drug dealing and terrorized by persistent gun violence. A guy who passed himself off as Jenkins representative, who is not a lawyer, was essentially one of his former cellmatesdrew this out for over a year," said Michael Bromwich, who led that investigation. Local newsletters: Local headlines (8 a.m.) | Afternoon Buzz (4 p.m.), Like PostLocal on Facebook | Follow @postlocal on Twitter | Latest local news. For all their misdeeds, members of the task force delivered when it came to gun and drug seizures, and they arrested some serious criminals. He stole $20,000 alongside two friends who posed as police officers during a home invasion. "The larger-than-life career of former New Haven police Lt. William 'Billy' White came to a stunning conclusion Monday when the high-profile lawman was sentenced to more than three years in prison . The case has shone a light on deeply rooted problems known to Baltimore residents for years, said Vanita Gupta, who headed the DOJs civil rights division when the city agreed to a consent decree on sweeping police reforms. He re-sold the drugs through a bail bondsman, who testified that Jenkins would leave large amounts of marijuana, heroin and cocaine in a shed in his backyard on an almost nightly basis. Momodu Bondeva Kenton Gondo, a/k/a GMoney and Mike, 34, of Owings Mills, hired in 2005. Under the cover of their badges, the officers sold seized guns and drugs on the streets, ripped off narcotics dealers and locked up innocent people. GTTF members were tasked with finding and removing guns from the streets of Baltimore. REPORTING LIVE FROM DOWNTOWN BALTIMORE, BARRY SIMMS WBAL TV 11 NEW. Nor did they worry much about ramming their cars into suspects vehicles, or rolling up on people and roughly questioning them without probable cause. Gondo, Ward, Hendrix. The scope of the crimes and allegations are broad and follow a particularly notorious 2018, which included federal arrests and trials of officers of the Gun Trace Task Force, and another officer charged with drug trafficking. Stay up to date on the news from Silicon Valley, and how to take back control of your data and devices. At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Former Detectives Daniel Hersl and Marcus Taylor were the only two not to accept a plea deal and go to a jury. Washington (AFP) - A police officer described as perhaps the most corrupt in the history of the Baltimore police department was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Thursday. Both got 18-year sentences. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Baltimore officials approved a $6 million payout in what is one of the city's largest settlements reached in the Gun Trace Task Force police misconduct case. They were supposed to be sentinels guarding this city from people who break the law, Wise told the jury in closing arguments last week, CNN affiliate WBAL-TV reported. Cellphone video outside of the Custom House Avenue strip club around 1:20 a.m. showed an officer pulling Middleton, who was off-duty, to the ground by her shirt collar. The two men split the proceeds. It also includes officers sentenced to prison and officers who have been suspended without additional information provided by the department. Testimony and evidence presented during the trial brought to light shocking criminality that continued even as US Justice Department civil rights lawyers investigated Baltimores Police Department. Its police department has been through a lot. Evodio Calles Hendrix, 32, of . 2023 BBC. Hersl and Taylor were charged with participating in the overtime fraud scheme. So, finally, after all these years, we'll get some justice for our parents Every time you speak about it, you get choked up. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. After tackling a teenager and beating him with his stun gun in 2016, Carlos Rivera-Martinez was convicted of second-degree assault and misconduct in office in May. Vignola faces sentencing ranging from probation to five years in federal prison and is no longer with the department. It's just awful.". These guys had engaged in so much misconduct previously. On 1 March, 2017, Sergeant Wayne Jenkins and six of his subordinate officers from the Gun Trace Task Force walked into the Baltimore Police Department's Internal Affairs building, believing. Rayam at one point gave guns and police uniforms to friends and had them break into a home where Rayam was aware of $20,000 being inside. Family says they've received justice with $6M GTTF settlement, CAN ABILITY. Hersl, Taylor and the other officers carried out brazen crimes at a time of strained community relations, following the April 2015 death of Freddie Gray while in police custody. Baltimore City officials agreed to pay $6 million to the family of Elbert Davis Sr. who was killed in 2010 during a high-speed car chase that involved the Gun Trace Task Force, a notorious unit of the Baltimore City Police Department, that lied to officials and robbed citizens. They initiated reckless and at least once, fatal car chases. Marlon Koushall arrested a fellow police sergeant, Middleton was originally charged with assault, but charges were dropped, Troy Snell, a former police officer in Baltimore and Philadelphia, Baltimore city Police Captain Darryl Murphy, Robert Quick, a Baltimore police lieutenant, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. By the time members of the task force were taken down, they had left a long trail of damage. Officials later reported that no one had been injured and the gun, carried by a man seen on a security camera, had discharged accidentally. Former detectives Daniel Hersl and Marcus Taylor were convicted of. Gun Trace Task Force fallout: Momodu Gondo. Veteran former Baltimore police officer Michael Gentil was sentenced to five years in prison for drawing a gun on a person who threw tea on his car while he was off-duty on Edison Highway in East Baltimore. A federal jury found former Baltimore Police Detective Robert Hankard guilty of corruption and conspiracy charges Monday, including allegations he conspired with others to plant a BB gun on a man . Both were later exonerated once it was revealed GTTF members planted the drugs and falsified reports. The report also revealed racial disparities in who was impacted by the corruption and abuse. Officers not directly associated with the GTTF have been charged and convicted in connection with events that occurred more than a decade ago, the report says. Included using his badge to send innocent people to jail for 24 years prosecutors tacked on 32 new but! In his home and walked out with at least once, fatal car chases of... To accept a plea deal and go to a consent decree on sweeping police reforms and Taylor... Instance, Allers stole $ 10,000 he found while searching the home of a man named D.R. News from Silicon Valley, and unsealed today following the killing of Freddie Gray in,. 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