Sheriff Lashes Out At US Dept. Of Justice, Saying It Was Out To Get Him

This follows the dismissal of an indictment against him.Frederick, Md (KM ) Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins lashed out at the US Department of Justice for bringing a case against him. He was indicted last year by a federal grand jury for violating federal laws regulating machine guns, and three counts of making false statements. The case against him was dismissed on Tuesday by a federal judge  following a request by prosecutors with the US Attorney’s Office.During a news conference on Tuesday afternoon at the Frederick County Law Enforcement Center,  he said the Department of Justice was out to get him. “I believe the DOJ has made every attempt, every effort to ruin my reputation as Sheriff, mainly punish and torture me and financially destroy me knowing very well I committed no crimes. There was never any evidence of a crime,” he said.Jenkins was indicted last year along with Robert Krop, the co-owner of the Machine Gun Nest in Frederick. “Months ago, I was told by prosecutors that I was indicted and being prosecuted  on a theory.  A theory, not evidence like my attorney demonstrated, but a theory,” he said.Prosecutors alleged that Jenkins worked with Krop to help him obtain more machine guns for his business, and Krop was planning to set up a demonstration of these firearms which never took place.  Jenkins said he doesn’t’ know Krop, and has only met him twice.One of Jenkins’ attorneys,, Andrea Smith, was present at the news conference. She said she worked with the US Attorney’s Office at one time, , and she said prosecutors had a weak case. “There was no evidence of a conspiracy. The Sheriff and Mr. Krop didn’t know each other. There was no evidence that the Sheriff every knowingly did anything with the intent to break the law which is what the government was required to prove,” she said. “I kept asking the government for that evidence, and the government never produced it.”The case was dismissed a few weeks after a jury found Krop not guilty  of a conspiracy charge, three counts of making false statements, and one count of illegally possessing machine guns.Jenkins says he sat through Krop’s trial. “After watching the Krop trial from start to finish, it was really clear the Department of Justice had no evidence, and no case to move forward with,”: he said.The Sheriff says he can now move forward with his life now that the charges against have been dismissed. “This is a great day for me, a great day for this agency. We’re at a new time in America right now. I finally have my life back, my personal life, my professional life,”: he said.During the time after his indictment, Jenkins could not wear his service weapon. He can now, and proudly showed it off to the media during the news conference.He did not answer any questions as to whether he will run for re-election in 2026.  Jenkins was first elected Sheriff in 2006.By Kevin McManus