Frederick Co. sheriff to take leave of absence after pleading not guilty to federal charges

BALTIMORE -- Frederick County Sheriff Charles Jenkins entered a not guilty plea Wednesday afternoon in federal court on charges of conspiring with a gun range owner to purchase illegal machine guns.

As a condition of his pre-trial release, Jenkins was ordered to surrender his firearms. 

Prosecutor Leo Wise cited similar cases where law enforcement officials needed to surrender firearms, namely former Baltimore Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa and former Taneytown Police Chief William Tyler.

Jenkins faces up to 25 years in prison.

He left the court without comment nearly three hours after his court appearance ended.

Jenkins announced he is taking a leave of absence until the end of the legal process.

"Out of respect for the men and women of this agency and not to interfere with the effective operations, I am going to take a leave of absence, effective end of business, Friday, April 14, through the end of this judicial process," Jenkins said. "I have full confidence in the system, and I now that my innocence will prevail at the end of all of this and that I will be found not guilty."

Frederick County Chief Deputy, Colonel David Benjamin, a 37-year veteran of the agency, will take over authority.

Jenkins, 66, has been the sheriff of Frederick County for more than 15 years. 

He was first elected to the position in 2006 and most recently re-elected in 2022, state officials said.

Robert Krop, 36, was charged alongside Jenkins for illegally possessing machine guns, according to authorities.

Krop is due in court on Thursday.

Krop is the principal owner and operator of a firearms-related business in Frederick County, state officials said.

He had two federal firearms licenses, which allowed him and the business to possess and deal in machine guns under certain circumstances, according to authorities.

Charging documents show that Krops was doing business as "The Machine Gun Next."

Federal investigators allege that Jenkins and Krop conspired to unlawfully purchase machine guns and "defraud the United States."

The two men allegedly aimed to defraud "namely the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, an agency of the United States, by interfering with and obstructing the lawful government functions of the ATF to limit the purchase, sale, transfer, and importation of machineguns for purchase by or demonstration for military and law enforcement agencies," according to the charging documents.

The conspiracy began in or before August 2015 and continued through May 2022, according to the charging documents.

The two men allegedly falsified multiple documents on the Frederick County Sheriff's Office letterhead requesting machine guns for evaluation and demonstration to the Frederick County Sheriff's Office, state officials said.

Krops reportedly drafted the documents for Jenkins to sign, according to authorities.

There was an understanding between the two men that they would not demonstrate the machine guns for the  Frederick County Sheriff's Office. Instead, the machine guns were used by Krop as rental guns for his business customers, state officials said.

Additionally, Krop is believed to possess several of the guns.

The duo allegedly traded support for Krop's business in exchange for political support for Jenkins, according to authorities.

If convicted of their alleged crimes, then Jenkins and Krop will face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison each for the conspiracy, for false statements in records maintained by a federal firearms licensee, and for false statements to federal law enforcement, state officials said.

Krop also faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for the unlawful possession of a machine gun, according to authorities.