BALTIMORE — A former Baltimore police detective shared revealing testimony Wednesday about the crimes committed by members of an elite gun squad.
It’s the first time details of the corruption that went on were made public. Momodu Gondo pleaded guilty earlier this month to robbery and overtime fraud, and now he’s a government witness in a drug case.
Gondo, who is nicknamed “G-Money,” laid out in detail on Wednesday what members of the Gun Trace Task Force were really doing under the color of law.
In a clear, steady voice, Gondo described for a federal jury how he used his position as a Baltimore police officer to steal money and drugs, and lie to cover his crimes.
Prosecutor: “Did you rob citizens when you executed search warrants?”
Gondo: “Yes.”
Prosecutor: “What did you steal?”
Gondo: “U.S. currency, drugs, firearms.”
Prosecutor: “How much did you steal?”
Gondo: “Over $100,000 probably.”
Gondo is one of eight former members of the gun squad who were indicted on federal corruption charges. He shed new light on how easily they stole overtime, saying, “Half the squad might be off, the other half working. If they got a gun, we all got paid.”
Now a witness for the government, Gondo described how he used his police power to hook up with and protect an accused drug dealer, one of his friends. He and his partner, Jemell Rayam, who testified Wednesday afternoon, teamed up with an accused dealer to pull off a home invasion of another drug dealer in 2015. Why Rayam?
“Home invasions were his M.O. He had experience running into people’s homes to rob,” Gondo said.
Rayam also pleaded guilty in the federal corruption case earlier this month.
Gondo said a Baltimore police tracking device was used to know when the home invasion target was away. Money and drugs were taken, and some of the drugs were later sold in a nursing home.
Gondo testified against five men charged with distributing heroin. Gondo said one man is a friend who he tried to tip off and protect from the head of the gun squad, Sgt. Wayne Jenkins. Gondo said Jenkins’ tactics were way out of line.
“Jenkins was reckless, out of control, putting citizens at risk, overly aggressive. I never saw anything like it,” Gondo said.
On recorded phone calls, Gondo and one of the accused dealers refer to Jenkins as “code red,” so nicknamed because Jenkins was so reckless, Gondo said.
Jenkins is also under indictment in the corruption case.
Gondo acknowledged his record of lying, saying he filed false arrest reports to cover stealing money from people.
As for their crimes, Gondo and Rayam testified that they only did that on the job.
“The most I did were robberies while working, never outside of work,” Gondo said.
“Most of our robberies were as police officers, so we weren’t too worried about getting caught,” Rayam said.
Gondo admitted that he hopes his testimony gets him leniency when he’s sentenced.
http://www.wbaltv.com/article/former-detective-reveals-crimes-gun-squad-members-committed/13091572
It should help get him hung. Worthless POS
A dishonest pig. Tsk,tsk.
Nothing new here, and nothing ever changes. We’ve known this stuff was going on since the days of Serpico, but as long as the TV insists they’re all heroes, that’s what the idiots are going to believe.