By Sean Yoes, Baltimore AFRO Editor, syoes@afro.com
Two more members of the now disbanded Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF) were sentenced June 8.
Former Baltimore Police Detectives Evodio Hendrix and Maurice Ward were given credit by prosecutors for cooperating against their former colleagues with the notorious GTTF, charged with crimes ranging from planting evidence, to selling drugs, to shaking down suspects for cash.
Baltimore Police (Courtesy Photo via Twitter)
In exchange for their cooperation with the state, Hendrix and Ward were given significantly reduced sentences, compared to the sentences handed to two GTTF members yesterday, former Sgt. Wayne Jenkins, the group’s ringleader (25 years) and Marcus Taylor (18 years).
According to a report by veteran investigative reporter Jayne Miller of WBAL-TV, Hendrix pleaded guilty to committing five robberies and testified against Taylor and former Det. Daniel Hersl, who both went to trial. For his cooperation Hendrix was given a sentence of seven years in prison. Ward was also sentenced to seven years for his role in the GTTF. Both Ward and Hendrix were given 16 months credit for time already served.
According to prosecutors, Ward who committed six robberies while a member of the GTTF, had an almost encyclopedic recall of crimes committed by the nefarious group. Specifically, Ward said Jenkins was stealing from drug dealers almost on a daily basis.
Former Det. Momodu Gondo, another member of the disgraced GTTF, testified last year that Jenkins was, “very reckless…I mean, he was just out of control, putting citizens at risk…I just never saw anything like this,” Gondo said during his trial.
