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WEBVTT ME TIME, THESE OFFICERSWERE ABLE TO GET THOUSANDS OFDOLLARS OF OVERTIME WITHOUTANYONE KNOWING.THESE SEVEN OFFICERS ARESUPPOSED TO BE PART OF AN ELITEGUN TRACING TASK FORCE.THE ATTORNEY SAYS THERE CRIMESARE MALICIOUS, LINE TO ROB THETAX PORTER -- TAXPAYERS OFOVERTIME MONEY AND LYING TOPEOPLE TO ROB THEM OF THEIRCASH.>> THESE DEFENDANTS WEREALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN STOPPINGPEOPLE WHO HAD NOT COMMITTEDCRIMES AND SEIZING THEIR MONEY-- NOT ONLY SEIZING THEIR MONEYBUT POCKETING IT.JAYNE: THIS READS LIKE A SCRIPTFOR A GANGSTER FILM.A MA WAS PROMISED KILOS OFDRUGS IF HE IDENTIFIED SOMEONETHE POLICE COULD ROB.LAST MONTH, ONE OF THEDETECTIVES TOLD ANOTHER THAT HEWAS NOT COMING IN BECAUSE HE HADTO TAKE CARE OF STUFF AT HOME.THE OTHER DETECTIVE REPLIED"EASY MONEY, EASY MONEY.ONE HOUR CAN BE EIGHT HOURS."POLICE COMMISSIONER KEVIN DAVISAND KNOWLEDGE THE EMBARRASSINGIRONY -- ACKNOWLEDGED THEEMBARRASSING IRONY.HE PROMISED A CLOSE LOOK ATOTHER SPECIALIZED UNITS WHICHOPERATE ON A LOOSE LEECH.-- LEASH.>> WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB OFSELECTING, TRAINING, AUDITING,AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE DOING THEWORK CONSISTENT WITH THE VALUESOF THIS COMMUNITY.JAYNE: THE CASE COMES AS THECITY IS SCRAMBLING FOR MOREMONEY FOR ITS SCHOOLS.IT SPENDS $1.5 MILLION EVERY TWOWEEKS ON OVERTIME.>> MORE OVERSIGHT, MOREAUDITING.JAYNE: SEVERAL OF THE OFFICERSNAMED IN THIS CASE ARE NOTSTRANGERS TO ALLEGATIONS OFTROUBLE.THE CITY HAS PAID OUT TWICE INLOST ITS PREVIOUSLY -- LAWSUITSPREVIOUSLY REGARDING ONE OF THEDETECTIVES.IT ALSO PAID $150,00 INVOLVINGMAURICE WARD.ALL SEVEN OFFICERS WILL BE BACKHERE IN FEDERAL COURT TOMORROWAND FRIDAY.

Advertisement 7 Baltimore police officers indicted on federal racketeering charges Charges include fraudulent overtime claims, robbing victims Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Local and federal law enforcement officials on Wednesday announced the arrests and indictments of seven Baltimore Police Department officers in a large corruption case that the police commissioner calls "disgraceful." Download the WBAL app. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the officers are being charged in connection with a racketeering conspiracy and racketeering offenses, including robbing victims, filing false affidavits and making fraudulent overtime claims. The officers charged in the racketeering indictment are: Det. Momodu Bondeva Kenton Gondo, a/k/a GMoney and Mike, 34, of Owings Mills, hired in 2005Det. Evodio Calles Hendrix, 32, of Randallstown, hired in 2009Det. Daniel Thomas Hersl, 47, of Joppa, hired in 1999Sgt. Wayne Earl Jenkins, 36, of Middle River, hired in 2003Det. Jemell Lamar Rayam, 36, of Owings Mills, hired in 2005Det. Marcus Roosevelt Taylor, 30, of Glen Burnie, hired in 2009Det. Maurice Kilpatrick Ward, 36, of Middle River, hired in 2003 “This is not about aggressive policing, it is about a criminal conspiracy,” U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said. “Prosecuting criminals who work in police agencies is essential both to protect victims and to support the many honorable officers whose reputations they unfairly tarnish.” READ MORE: For complete indictments, tap here and here. Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said the officers have been suspended without pay. All of the officers were taken into custody at the Baltimore Police Internal Affairs section Wednesday morning and are in the custody of the FBI. “The police officers charged today with crimes that erode trust with our community have disgraced the Baltimore Police Department and our profession," Davis said. "We will not shy away from accountability, as our community and the men and women who serve our city every day with pride and integrity deserve nothing less. Our investigative partnership with the FBI will continue as we strive to improve. Reform isn't always a pretty thing to watch unfold, but it's necessary in our journey toward a police department our city deserves." Hendrix and Ward, the first two to be arraigned, pleaded not guilty Thursday. The federal judge ordered them to be detained pending trial, calling the case an "egregious breach of public trust." According to the indictment, police officers stole money, property and drugs from victims, some of whom had not committed crimes. The officers also allegedly swore out false affidavits, submitted false official incident reports and engaged in large-scale time and attendance fraud. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the officers committed robberies and extortion between 2015 and 2016 when they were officers in the Police Department's Gun Trace Task Force, a specialized unit created to investigate firearms crimes. According to the indictment, five of the seven officers committed robbery and extortion beginning in 2015 before joining the task force. In some cases, there was no evidence of criminal conduct by the victims as the officers stole money that had been legally obtained, Rosenstein said. The indictment added that in other instances, drugs and guns were recovered from arrestees and in several instances, the officers did not file any police reports. The amounts stolen ranged from $200 to $200,000. According to the indictment, the defendants stole money, property and drugs by detaining victims, entering their homes, conducting traffic stops and swearing out false search warrant affidavits. In addition, the defendants allegedly prepared and submitted false official incident and arrest reports, reports of property seized from arrestees, and charging documents to cover up their crimes, according to the indictment. The defendants also allegedly obstructed the investigation by alerting each other about potential investigations of their criminal conduct, coaching one another to give false testimony to police investigators from and turning off their body cameras to avoid recording encounters with civilians, according to the indictment. Gondo is also charged in a separate drug distribution indictment. He was shot in 2006 outside his home after midnight while off-duty. Years later, the indictment alleges that Gondo sold heroin and provided sensitive law enforcement information to other conspirators to help protect them. Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby released a statement, saying: "Today’s federal indictment of several BPD officers will have pervasive implications on numerous active investigations and pending cases in our office. Nonetheless, we will continue our strong partnership with the Police Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office to identify, prosecute and ultimately eradicate those bad actors who do a disservice to the dedicated and hard-working officers who risk their lives daily to protect and serve our communities." FOP No. 3 president Gene Ryan released the following statement regarding the charges. "We are very disturbed over the charges filed against our members by the U.S. Attorney today," Ryan said. "These officers are entitled to due process and a fair trial in accordance with the Constitution and the laws of our state. It would be in appropriate for me to make any further comment until the charges leveled against these officers are finally resolved." Anyone who believes they may have information about these cases is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI The seven defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy and for racketeering. Gondo faces a mandatory five years and up to 40 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute at least 100 grams of heroin. Stay with wbaltv.com, the mobile app and 11 News for the latest on this story.