Fmr. Baltimore Detective Who Lied About Gun Planted At Crime Scene Sentenced To 18 Months, Latest In Gun Trace Task Force Fallout
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A former Baltimore Police Department detective who lied to a grand jury about the circumstances surrounding a gun planted at a crime scene nearly six years ago was sentenced Thursday to 18 months in federal prison.
Carmine Vignola, 35, of Thurmont, was also sentenced to two years of supervised release following his prison term.
The justice department said Vignola and Sgt. Keith Gladstone were having dinner on March 26, 2014, when Gladstone got a call from an officer identified as Sgt. Wayne Jenkins, the leader of the Gun Trace Task Force, who had just run over the person he was arresting.
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Gladstone reportedly asked Vignola if he had a BB gun. When Vignola said no, Gladstone asked him to call another officer, Det. Robert Hankard, who did have a BB gun. The two then drove to the officer's home, grabbed the BB gun and went to the scene where Jenkins had run over the suspect.
Officials said Gladstone then planted the gun on the suspect and he and Vignola left the scene.
Nearly four years later, Gladstone and Vignola met at a swimming pool to talk about the incident. Gladstone told Vignola he should lie to federal law enforcement officials if he was brought in for questioning in the case.
A year later in February 2019, Vignola told a grand jury he was investigating allegations that the gun was planted by an officer. The justice department said he then lied and said he called his partner at Gladstone's request to see if the partner had a BB gun.
When the partner said no, Vignola said Gladstone went into the trunk of his vehicle.
Last month, Hankard, 43, was charged with five counts in connection with the incident. Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said at the time Hankard is suspended without pay.
Jenkins was sentenced in 2018 to 25 years in prison.
