The sheriff of Frederick County, Maryland, says he will take a leave of absence after a federal grand jury indicted him in an alleged scheme to obtain machine guns.
Frederick County Sheriff Charles Jenkins appeared in U.S. District Court on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to five federal counts of conspiracy and making false statements. A judge ordered Jenkins to surrender all firearms, including his service weapon.
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Later Wednesday, Jenkins said he would step away from his role as sheriff during the judicial 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 in a statement. “I have full confidence in the system, and I know that my innocence will prevail at the end of all of this and that I will be found not guilty.”
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Chief Deputy Col. David Benjamin will step in for Jenkins while he's on leave, the sheriff's office said.
Jenkins is accused of conspiring with the owner of a gun range to illegally obtain machine guns to rent out, and charged with falsifying documents and requesting machine guns for demonstration in his office, where no demonstrations took place, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.
Instead, according to the indictment, Jenkins conspired to get those guns to Robert Krop, who rented them to private citizens for money.
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Krop owns a gun range in Frederick. The indictment alleges his business made more than $100,000 in just two years from renting out the machine guns.
Despite the indictment, Jenkins had said last week he would continue on as sheriff.
Some county officials and residents, however, called on Jenkins to step away until the investigation is resolved.
Some Frederick County residents told News4 they're disturbed by the allegations.
"I don't know what this world is coming to," said resident Yvonne Fink. "I just don't know what's going on."
"I mean, if he's doing something that's wrong, then he will have to answer for it," said Bill Fink, another resident.
Others who live in Frederick say they aren't rushing to judgement.
"I guess it sounds bad, but I don't know, I guess I'm waiting to see how it turns out," said resident Tommy Kline.
"You're innocent until proven guilty," said Jeff Windsor, another resident of the county. "I like Jenkins, I would vote for him again. I voted for him last time, he's been a good sheriff."
In a statement sent by a spokesperson, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore expressed support for the investigation.
"Sheriff Jenkins is facing serious criminal charges that are worthy of investigation and we expect that law enforcement officials will be thorough and fair, working in accordance with due process," the statement read.
"No one is above the law; we expect high standards from all public officials and trust that our institutions will work to both protect the rights of the accused and defend the interests of the citizens of Frederick County."
It's not the first time in recent weeks a member of the Frederick County sheriff's office has faced criminal charges.
At the end of March, deputy Allan Mandujano was charged with second degree child abuse and assault, involving a 5-year-old child. He was suspended without pay.
A spokesperson for the sheriff's office gave a statement on Jenkins' behalf last week:
"I have been in constant communication with the DOJ and ATF for over a year and have been 100 percent cooperative throughout the course of this investigation. At the advice of my attorney and out of respect for the justice process, I am not providing any comment at this time."
Frederick County Council Vice President Kavonte Duckett called for Jenkins to place himself on leave Thursday evening.
"I unequivocally condemn the action of any elected official which are inconsistent with integrity, trust, and good community service," the statement reads.
"Trust in public officials and law enforcement is the foundation upon which our community safety is built. We have worked hard here in Frederick County to build and improve that trust with the families we serve. Incidents like this can erode that hard and meaningful work."
"While the Council plays no role in the operation of the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office beyond providing state mandatedfunding to the division, it is important that we hold all duly elected officials accountable. Any inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated in Frederick County regardless of elected office."
"I urge Sheriff Chuck Jenkins to place himself on an administrative leave of absence until this matter is resolved as he would require any deputy pending charges under his command."
If convicted on the charges, Jenkins and Krop could face up to 5 years in federal prison for conspiracy and false statements.
Krop could also face an additional 10 years in prison for illegal possession of a machine gun. He is due in court on Thursday.
