According to trial testimony, after robbing a high-level drug dealer, Jenkins listened to the man's phone calls to his wife from jail, telling her to hire a lawyer. But most of the cops on the task force turned out to be every bit as gangster as the drug dealers and other criminals they were pursuing. After tackling a teenager and beating him with his taser in 2016, Carlos Rivera-Martinez was convicted of second-degree assault and misconduct in office in May. His focus is on the characters in the unit and the fascinating twists and turns of the investigation that eventually brought the rogue cops to justice. She died eight years after the crash.Now, with the settlement, family members told 11 News they've received justice. He is expected to be released in May 2027. BALTIMORE (AP) The oldest member of a deeply corrupt Baltimore police unit was sentenced Friday to 18 years, becoming the sixth member of the now-disbanded squad to head to federal prison. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. 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. 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. They robbed suspected drug dealers (some of whom may not have been dealers), sold stolen drugs, illegally used GPS devices to track robbery targets and planted evidence. Several protesters were arrested for disturbing the peace and Israeli media said at least six protesters were wounded. "It was a gut punch to the family, and they needed to stand up for their parents. The aftershocks of the GTTF scandal continue to be felt to this day. They would see who ran out of the group, chase them, and detain them. Testimony from four of the unit's former members revealed in greater detail the extent of the corruption and the lengths to which the GTTF would go to cover their tracks. Hersl came at me like a gang, Summerville testified, 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. The officers attorneys noted that former Gun Trace Task Force Sgt. VideoAt the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, How fake copyright complaints are muzzling journalists, How 10% of Nigerian registered voters delivered victory, Sake brewers toast big rise in global sales, The Indian-American CEO who wants to be US president, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip. Two former Baltimore Police officers sentenced to a combined 454 years in federal prison for shaking down citizens in the early 2000s had their prison terms reduced to 20 years each by a federal judge Monday. A federal jury on Monday convicted two former members of a defunct Baltimore police gun task force in a corruption trial. Federal agents found unregistered assault rifles, cocaine residue and razors in his home. The scandal broke at a time of struggle and high tensions between Baltimore community members and the police department. April 29, 2022 / 11:30 PM 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. Baltimore police officer Julie Pitocchelli, who was a member with the department since 1994, Baltimore Police Detective Carmine Vignola, Sgt. A True Story of Crime, Cops, and Corruption. 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. THE COUNTRIES TASK FORCE WAS -- GUN TRACE TASK FORCE WAS ALLOWED TO RUN THE CITY STREETS AND ILLEGALLY STOP AND PURSUE INNOCENT PEOPLE. Help stop a tyrant officer! They stole 800g of heroin, jewellery, watches and a gun. A man named Ronald Hamilton testified that his car was stopped in 2016 by task force members, the station reported. He told the jury that on one occasion, he and Officer Taylor pulled rubbish from a house they needed a search warrant for and recovered evidence of marijuana. Gaff was found guilty of misconduct while in office but found not guilty for second-degree assault. "We waited so long for justice. Jenkins would also give overtime pay as a reward for gun seizures, former detectives testified. 8:24 PM EST, Mon February 12, 2018. In April, assault charges were dropped against officer Middleton after she and other off-duty officers were accused of being drunk during a bachelorette party outside Norma Jeans strip club on The Block. On the stand, Rayam wept after listening to a tape of himself and other members of the task force failing to render aid at the scene of a serious car accident they caused. It also includes officers sentenced to prison and officers who have been suspended without additional information provided by the department. Neither sentence is unreasonable given the offense conduct in this case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Wilkinson wrote. 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. pic.twitter.com/TB2fEMv9aK. Keith Gladstone pleaded guilty in May in a 2014 case where a toy gun was planted on a man to justify him being chased by police and later run down by an officers vehicle. In his plea, Gondo admitted to acting as a lookout during a home invasion, stealing money during arrests and searches as an officer, arranging the sale of a seized gun and marijuana, and taking thousands of dollars in unearned overtime pay from the city. Jenkins previously pled guilty to multiple charges. Henrietta Middleton and faces up to 10 years in prison. Rayam admitted that he'd been stealing money long before he joined the Gun Trace Task Force, as early as 2009. In an attempt to stop her, Jenkins had his officers write a fake note purportedly from the husband's mistress. "Baltimore has been through a lot. The two others Daniel Hersl and Marcus Taylorpleaded not guilty and were convicted in 2018. And more officers tied to the Gun Trace Task Force were charged or sentenced in federal court. Leader Of Corrupt Baltimore PD Task Force Sentenced To 25 Years Behind Bars. On December 4, 2016, Jacome directed and participated in taking a 14 year-old boy from Langley Park to a wooded area outside Germantown, Maryland, and murdering him by repeated blows with a machete because Jacome suspected that the victim had provided information to the police about the gang. 2. A former detective testified that Gun Trace Task Force Sgt. At the location, police found the victim inside a vehicle . 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. >> 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. 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. After the group stole over $100,000 from a safe, Ward testified he was given a $20,000 cut. The extent of the GTTFs reign of terror on the city of Baltimore became more widely known in 2017, when eight members of the unit were indicted on charges of extortion, robbery, racketeering, and overtime fraud. In a 2016 incident, officers stopped and arrested a couple who had been leaving a Home Depot, even though there was no evidence that the couple committed a crime. "This is a relief, yes," Johnson said. A jury found Hersl guilty for his role in several robberies committed by the squad, including an incident where the officers took over $25,000 from a man's home without charging him a crime. Police said protesters threw rocks and water bottles at police. Hendrix admitted stealing money on several occasions, with his fellow officers, during traffic stops and while executing search warrants. 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. Jemell Rayam is serving 12 years and is currently in a secure medical detention facility in Minnesota. Det. Retired Baltimore Police Sgt. THEY NEEDED TO STAND UP FOR THEIR PARENTS. The extent of the GTTF's reign of terror on the city of Baltimore became more widely known in 2017, when eight members of the unit were indicted on charges of extortion, robbery, racketeering,. Gondo, 36, was a member of the corrupt Gun Trace Task Force and was the only officer in the case to be charged as part of two separate criminal conspiracies, originally facing a possible sentence of 60 years. Sgt. (Kenneth K. Lam). the epic corruption and fraud that included using his badge to send innocent people to jail. Baltimore police officer Julie Pitocchelli, who was a member with the department since 1994, was suspended without pay in June after an investigation regarding overtime pay for officers. Vignola faces sentencing ranging from probation to five years in federal prison and is no longer with the department. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. >> IT WAS A GUT PUNCH TO THE FAMILY. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. His release date is in 2025. Rayam was investigated for theft of $11,000 from a man that year. One of them shot a video showing the officers pretending to open the safe for the first time after they had already pocketed half the money, they testified, according to the newspaper. The leader of a rogue Baltimore police unit sobbed as he was sentenced to 25 years in prison in a corruption scandal prosecutors called "breathtaking". While committing a different masked home invasion with Officer Momodu Gondo, Rayam was surprised by a woman in the home and held her at gunpoint with his police-issued firearm. Prosecutors said Gentil failed to yield to Miller walking across the street. Its police department has been through a lot. 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.. Read more: David Simon and George Pelecanos on How America Changed Between The Wire and Their New Police Show We Own This City. CORRUPT JUDGE sentenced TO ARREST for FILMING A COP! Jenkins admitted to stealing cash from people he stopped or arrested during his work as a police officer. Rivera-Martinez, 32, was found guilty by a Baltimore City Circuit Court jury for beating Melvin Townes, then 16, in the face and head repeatedly with his stun gun after chasing him on North Gay Street about 2 a.m. on July 5, 2016. Detective Carmine Vignola, Sgt guilty and were convicted in 2018, Do Sell/Share. `` this is a relief, yes, '' Johnson said and detain.. 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