The sheriff of Frederick County, Maryland, is accused of scheming with a gun dealer to illegally acquire machine guns, the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.
A federal grand jury charged Sheriff Charles Austin Jenkins, 66, with conspiracy and making false statements.
The indictment alleges that Jenkins conspired with 36-year-old Robert Justin Krop, a gun business owner, to illegally purchase machine guns from August 2015 to May 2022.
Prosecutors said Jenkins falsified multiple documents on Frederick County Sheriff's Office letterhead requesting machine guns for training sheriff's deputies. Krop helped him draft the letters, according to prosecutors.
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But prosecutors say the guns were never used for training deputies. Instead, Krop rented the guns to customers at the firing range he owns and operates, the attorney's office said.
A spokesperson for the sheriff's office read a statement from Jenkins during a news conference Wednesday.
"I have been in constant communication with the DOJ and the ATF for over a year and have been 100 percent cooperative throughout the course of this investigation. At the advice of my attorney, and out of respect for the justice process, I am not providing any comment at this time. I will continue to serve as your sheriff as this process plays out," spokesperson Todd Wivell said.
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The indictment also accuses Krop of illegally possessing seven machine guns, and further alleges that Krop’s business offered political support to Jenkins in recognition of his support for the business.
News4 has reached out to Krop multiple times for comment, but he has not yet responded.
In a recent Facebook post, Krop said he was being investigated by federal agencies.
"The past year, three-letter organizations have started their fight right here in Frederick, Maryland, asking us for your records, any and all info on your purchases. We lawyered up. We refused," Krop said in a video on his business' Facebook page.
If convicted, both men would face five years in prison on conspiracy charges. Krop would face an additional 10 years if found guilty of the illegal possession charges.
Jenkins has been the county's sheriff since his election in 2006 and was most recently re-elected in 2022.
