Maryland sheriff, gun shop owner indicted for machine gun rental scheme

A Maryland sheriff who has held workplace since 2006 and a gun store proprietor had been indicted on fees of conspiracy and false statements in an effort to purchase and lease machine weapons, federal officers introduced on Wednesday. 

Sheriff Charles Austin Jenkins, 66, and businessman Robert Justin Krop, 36, each of Maryland, had been indicted by a federal grand jury. The fees had been introduced by Erek L. Barron, america Lawyer for the District of Maryland, and Toni M. Crosby, the particular agent in command of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Subject Division.

The six-count indictment alleges that from August 2015 to Might 2022, Jenkins and Krop “conspired to unlawfully buy” machine weapons and falsified paperwork on Frederick County Sheriff’s Workplace letterhead to request the machine weapons for “analysis and demonstration” by the workplace. Krop drafted these paperwork for Jenkins to signal, the indictment alleges. 

Krop is the principal proprietor and operator of firearms-related companies in Frederick County, the place Jenkins is the sheriff. Krop’s companies allowed him to own and deal in machine weapons. Jenkins and Krop allegedly rented the machine weapons to paying prospects. The indictment additionally alleges that Krop illegally possessed seven machine weapons and that his enterprise provided Jenkins political help. 

A name to Jenkins’ cellphone, as listed on the Frederick County Sheriff’s Workplace web site, was not answered. A public data officer for the sheriff’s workplace mentioned there could be a press convention addressing the indictment Wednesday afternoon.  

If convicted, Jenkins and Krop face a most sentence of 5 years in jail for conspiracy, false statements in data maintained by a federal firearms licensee, and for false statements to federal legislation enforcement. Krop may additionally face a most sentence of 10 years in federal jail for illegal possession of machine weapons. 

No courtroom date is scheduled for Jenkins or Krop right now, federal officers mentioned.