800 Cases Linked To Gun Trace Task Force Could Be Overturned, Dismissed After Officers' Convictions
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A corrupt task force is to blame for nearly 800 criminal cases that Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby is hoping to throw out or overturn.
Mosby said the illegal work of the Gun Trace Task Force may have led to wrongful convictions and now the city is trying to right those wrongs.
Eight officers, all part of GTTF, now sit behind bars as convicted criminals. Cases they worked on might get overturned or tossed out now that the states attorney's office has been looking into whether the convicted cops played a role in tainting the evidence in the case.
Body camera footage played in court showed one of the convicted GTTF officers in action.
This video, used to convict Detective Jemmell Rayam, is just a glimpse of the evidence used to take down seven more GTTF officers.
Led by Sgt. Wayne Jenkins, all 8 were convicted of racketeering, armed robbery, selling drugs, falsifying overtime and planting evidence on suspects they arrested.
Baltimore families even lost loved ones due to the wrongful acts of the group.
Each officer is behind bars in federal prison, facing anywhere from seven to 25 years of incarceration.
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Months ago, Mosby said these convictions would have a ripple effect on the cases these officers worked on.
But the numbers are in: nearly 800 cases were tainted because of the GTTF. Now might get thrown out or have convictions overturned, thanks to new legislation that empowers prosecutors.
"I applaud Delegate Erek Barron and the hard work of my policy and legislative affairs team for securing legislation which will allow us to finally right nearly 800 cases impacted by the wrongful and illegal acts of the gun trace task force," Mosby said.
The bill passed in the Maryland General Assembly and takes effect next month.
