A Maryland sheriff who has held office since 2006 and a gun store owner has been indicted on charges of conspiracy and false statements in order to obtain and lease automatic rifles, federal officials announce Wednesday.
A grand jury has indicted Sheriff Charles Austin Jenkins, 66, and businessman Robert Justin Krupp, 36, both of Maryland. charges were announce By Eric L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, and Tony M. Crosby, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division.
The six-count indictment alleges that from August 2015 to May 2022, Jenkins and Krupp conspired to “purchase” automatic rifles and illegally forged documents on Frederick County Sheriff’s Office letterhead to order the guns for “evaluation and clarification” by the office. Krupp drafted these documents for Jenkins to sign, the indictment alleged.
Krupp is the primary owner and operator of a firearms-related business in Frederick County, of which Jenkins is the sheriff. Krupp’s business allowed him to own and handle machine guns. Jenkins and Krupp allegedly rented the guns to paying customers. The indictment also alleges that Krupp illegally owned seven automatic rifles and that his work provided political support to Jenkins.
A phone call to Jenkins’ phone went unanswered, as listed on the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office website. A press officer in the mayor’s office said there would be a press conference dealing with the indictment on Wednesday afternoon.
If convicted, Jenkins and Krupp face a maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy, false statements in records kept by a federal firearms licensee, and for false statements to federal law enforcement. Krupp could also face a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for illegal possession of machine guns.
Federal officials said no court date has been set for Jenkins or Cropp at this time.
Kerry Brain
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