BALTIMORE — Prosecutors have dropped a federal gun case against longtime Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins and his co-defendant, a local gun dealer named Robert Krop.
The feds accused the pair of conspiring to illegally acquire machine guns under false pretenses.
According to the DOJ, Jenkins signed official Sheriff's Office letterheads falsely stating Krop hosted firearms demonstrations for the agency.
This supposedly made it easier for Krop to obtain weapons and rent them out for profit.
A jury ultimately acquitted Krop on all charges.
"From the beginning of this case as joint defendants, our office was vigorous in exposing the vexatious, frivolous, and bad faith false charges which had been brought," said Krop's lawyer, Dan Cox, the former Republican candidate for Maryland Governor.
Following Krop's exoneration, the U.S. Attorney's Office decided to dismiss all charges against Jenkins.
His attorney Andrea Smith, a former federal prosecutor in her own right, told WMAR this was "never a case."
"There was no evidence of a conspiracy – these men didn’t even know each other – and there was no evidence that the Sheriff ever knowingly did anything with the intent to break the law. I kept asking for that evidence and the government never produced it," said Smith.
The case itself has been ongoing for two-and-a-half years, leading Jenkins at one point to take a leave of absence, even having to surrender his duty weapon.
He would later return, defiantly taking back control of the Sheriff's Office, all while denying the allegations against him.
MORE: Jenkins retakes control over Frederick County Sheriff's Office despite federal indictment
"I’ve never doubted his innocence – he is a hard-working, honest man who gets up every day and tries to do what is right. He’s been through a lot and I’m just so glad it’s finally over," said Smith.
The charges were dismissed with prejudice, meaning they cannot be refiled at a later date.
