Corruption Investigation Into Baltimore Police Sweeps Up Philly Officer

Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear this segment.

A federal corruption investigation into the Baltimore City Police Department made it’s ninth arrest last week.

Officer Eric Snell, who worked for three years for the Baltimore Police Department before moving to serve as an officer in the city of Philadelphia, was charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine. The allegations are connected to illegal activities by former members of the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force, including multiple robberies, drug trafficking, and overtime fraud.

Officer Snell is connected to the Baltimore crime ring through Detective Jemell Rayam, who he met during his time at the police academy and worked with in Baltimore.  According to the indictment, between October 28, 2016 and November 9, 2016, Snell deposited thousands of dollars in cash into Rayam's bank account, all from illegal drug sales. Rayam was charged in June as part of the racketeer charges filed against former members of the Gun Trace Task Force, and he has since pleaded guilty.

Baltimore's Gun Trace Task Force was designed to increase gun arrests and get the firearms off the street, but according to Justin Fenton, a reporter for The Baltimore Sun, the broad autonomy of the Task Force meant that it's members used their power to violate the constitutional rights of residents. The misconduct, which dates back to at least 2014, occurred while the city was under a consent decree by the Justice Department, in an attempt to outline sweeping reforms for the department. 

Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear the full report from Justin Fenton. 

This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich