UPDATE: Johnson was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release.
Original Story:
Former Baltimore County police officer William Johnson, 33, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of honest services wire fraud, for seeking and accepting bribes and kickbacks, totaling $16,804, to falsely certify firearms training certifications.
According to court documents, Johnson joined the police force in August 2008, and obtained a qualified handgun instructor certificate from the Maryland State Police on April 29, 2019.
In order to purchase, rent, or receive a handgun in Maryland, residents must have a handgun qualifications license, which requires four hours of instruction by a qualified handgun instructor.
According to his guilty plea, from May 2019- September 2021, Johnson accepted bribes through transfer services like Venmo, CashApp, and Zelle for applicants looking for firearm certifications, in exchange for Johnson falsifying to the Maryland State Police that the applicant had completed the training required by law.
He charged $100 for an HQL certification and between $150 and $200 for a CCW certification. Based on falsified documents, applicants received these certifications from MSP.
Johnson faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for honest services wire fraud. As part of his plea agreement, Johnson will be required to pay a money judgment of at least $16,804, representing the proceeds he obtained from the scheme.
