7 City Officers Federally Charged With Robbing Residents, Claiming False Overtime

The drug indictment against one city officer and several alleged drug trafficking organization members. Download This File

Seven Baltimore police officers allegedly robbed people during stops and scammed the department out of overtime, federal authorities say, as all were charged with racketeering conspiracy and other racketeering offenses.

"These are really simply robberies by people who were wearing police uniforms," U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein said. "This kind of conduct by police officers tarnishes...all police officers."

The officers charged are Detective Momody Bondeva Kenton Gondo, Detective Evodio Calles Hendrix, Detective Daniel Thomas Hersl, Sgt. Wayne Earl Jenkins, Detective Jemell Lamar Rayam, Detective Marcus Roosevelt Taylor and Detective Maurice Kilpatrick Ward. All were apprehended by internal affairs and federal agents and made initial appearances at U.S. District Court in Baltimore, where they were ordered held pending detention hearings. All but Taylor have detention hearings scheduled there Thursday; Taylor's detention hearing is set for Friday.

Gondo was charged in a separate indictment for allegedly joining a drug-dealing conspiracy, alongside Antonio Shropshire of Baltimore, Omari Thomas of Middle River, Antoine Washington of Baltimore, Alexander Campbell of Baltimore and Glen Kyle Wells of Baltimore.

The case began about a year ago, while the department was still under a civil rights investigation by the Department of Justice. The indictments announced Wednesday constitute the largest police scandal since 2011's towing kickback case, which saw 17 officers face charges.

"The majority of Baltimore City police officers are going to be really pleased today to see these charges brought against people who are accused of betraying their badges and betraying their police department," Rosenstein said.

Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3 President Gene Ryan said in a statement the union is "very disturbed over the charges filed" but stressed the officers are "entitled to due process and a fair trial."

Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said the officers are suspended without pay.

"Reform isn't always pretty. It's messy sometimes. Reform is not just a word we use at press conferences," Davis said. "It's something that's real. And part of the reality of reform is looking within our organization and pulling the covers back and seeing who is betraying the trust of our community."

Davis said he spoke with several commanders and rank and file officers and said they were "relieved" to know that the officers charged are off the beat. The seven charged were all part of the gun trace task force. Jenkins was a key police trainer on gun seizures.

In most cases, the officers allegedly took cash amounts ranging from $200 to six figures. In other cases, drugs and guns were allegedly taken. In several cases, the alleged victims didn't file any police reports. In several of the alleged robberies, the money allegedly seized was earned lawfully by the victim. But even where the money or property wasn't lawfully possessed, the officers allegedly took it just the same.

This is from one day in August regarding the officers arrested and indicted. #WBAL pic.twitter.com/yHfSvR6Vlz — Omar Jimenez (@OmarJimenezWBAL) March 1, 2017

In another incident last March, four of the officers allegedly stole $200,000 from a safe they opened and from two bags they seized.

Several of the officers nearly doubled their salary with claimed overtime.

"The allegations of time and attendance and overtime fraud and overtime abuse it's disgusting. And to take money out of taxpayers wallets and do it so arrogantly, it's a pattern of practice that has existed for many years," Davis said.

Jenkins allegedly claimed five days of overtime during a six-day vacation in Myrtle Beach last July. Gondo allegedly told Rayam the same week that working for city police was "easy money," citing the overtime policy, saying that "one hour can be eight hours" on police timesheets.

Easy money...fed indictment against 7 BPD officers alleges ease with which officers allegedly ripped off taxpayers in OT fraud pic.twitter.com/ewyn8BSC19 — Jayne Miller (@jemillerwbal) March 1, 2017

Davis didn't go into detail on whether this would spark a larger internal investigation about timekeeping and other internal checks to prevent what the officers charged allegedly did.

"The small number of police officers who choose to engage in criminal misconduct are pretty savvy," Davis said. "They're 1930s gangsters as far as I'm concerned."

It's not the first time the conduct of some of them has come under question. They city has paid out $350,000 in lawsuits involving three of the officers, and one was involved in a fatal shooting in 2009.

This is likely the last major case to be announced by Rosenstein as U.S. attorney. Nominated to serve as President Donald Trump's deputy attorney general, he is set to face his first confirmation hearing next week. He briefly reflected on the public corruption cases that have marked much of his tenure, hailing "the superb work by the federal agents and prosecutors that's reflected in these cases."

Rosenstein said it's probable there other victims investigators don't know about, and urged anyone with more information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Victims may be issued restitution by a federal judge or jury, if the defendants are convicted.

Five separate federal cases the officers were involved in were quietly dropped during the investigation, Rosenstein said, because the officers became suspects. He didn't go into the nature of those cases. City prosecutors weren't made aware of the investigation as it was underway.

“Today’s federal indictment of several BPD officers will have pervasive implications on numerous active investigations and pending cases in our office," State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. "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."



In the drug case, Gondo and the other, separate defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin as part of the Shropshire drug trafficking gang. Washington is also charged with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin resulting in death. The drug defendants allegedly sold heroin near Baltimore's Alameda Shopping Center. Gondo was allegedly recorded in a phone call saying, "I sell drugs." He also allegedly disclosed police information to co-conspirators and allegedly helped Antonio Shropshire get a DEA tracking device off his car.

WBAL-TV 11 reporter Jayne Miller contributed to this report.