Maryland sheriff on leave after machine gun scheme indictment

Frederick County Sheriff Charles “Chuck” Jenkins has taken a leave of absence after being indicted by a grand jury for his alleged involvement in a machine gun operation, according to an announcement made on Wednesday. His leave of absence, which begins on Friday and continues until the end of his trial, was stated as an effort to prevent any interference with agency operations. Last week, Jenkins pled “not guilty” to five federal charges of conspiracy and false statements to obtain machine guns illegally in his initial court appearance.

Jenkins faces a seven-year-long fraudulent operation accusation with 36-year-old Robert Justin Krop, who was also indicted. Krop allegedly falsified documents using the sheriff’s letterhead, saying the machine guns would be utilized for demonstrations at Jenkins’s office for the purpose of renting them to his customers. Jenkins then signed the documents, pretending it was for demonstrations, according to the indictment. Two individuals with knowledge of the case who wished to remain anonymous said investigators obtained recordings of the pair discussing how they could mislead the public regarding the machine guns. Krop endorsed Jenkins’s business in recognition of his supportive stance towards the gun range, adding that his business also endorsed the sheriff.

Jenkins must surrender his firearms but will not be detained before going to trial. His statement affirmed his trust in the system and his chance of being cleared of all allegations. Chief Deputy David Benjamin will act as sheriff for the duration of Jenkins’s absence. Jenkins held the position of sheriff of Frederick County since 2006 and was recently re-elected in 2022.