‘Some Measure of Justice’ Baltimore City Pays $525K To Victim Who Says Corrupt GTTF Cops Wrongly Sent Him To Prison, Part of $14 Million In Settlements

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BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A. Dwight Pettit has brought misconduct lawsuits against Baltimore constabulary for much than 4 decades, but the scope of corruption connected the Gun Trace Task Force was larger than helium had ever seen. Now, 1 of his clients, Robert Johnson, has settled with the metropolis for $525,000 aft helium says helium was wrongly imprisoned for 4 years.

Baltimore City’s spending committee unanimously approved the settlement, which comes 2 years aft Johnson sued the metropolis and respective erstwhile constabulary commissioners. He alleged apical brass knew astir the corruption but turned a unsighted oculus to it.

Baltimore City has present paid much than $14 cardinal to screen settlements related to the corrupt Gun Trace Task Force; different $525k authorized this greeting https://t.co/gSjXHeqLpz @wjz

— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) July 21, 2021

“He’s very, precise blessed that this is over,“ Pettit told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. “Just the information of being incarcerated for 4 years for thing that you did not bash is simply a tremendous happening and helium is conscionable blessed that helium has immoderate compensation adjacent though it does not rectify what he’s been through. At slightest it’s immoderate measurement of justness truthful helium tin commencement his beingness implicit again.“

Johnson alleged officers Jemell Rayam and Momodu Gondo planted a weapon connected him and searched his conveyance without probable origin successful 2014. He said helium was pressured into taking a plea deal.

“We are going to bash close by those who are unluckily preyed upon by these individuals,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said this week. “We are going to proceed to enactment things successful spot to marque definite that these kinds of incidents bash not hap again.“

READ MORE: GTTF

Federal prosecutors said officers successful the once-elite weapon portion would people radical who they believed would not study them, often robbing them of currency and drugs.

There person been 30 settlements involving the GTTF truthful far. The largest was $8 cardinal paid to Umar Burley and Brent Matthews who were besides wrongly imprisoned aft GTTF officers planted drugs connected them.

More from Umar Burley—who served astir 8 years successful situation aft Baltimore constabulary planted heroin connected him. He filed a multimillion dollar suit against police, the state, and existent and officers @wjz pic.twitter.com/RwS8kQqWQj

— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) June 13, 2018

“The citizens of Baltimore cannot spend to proceed to wage these types of settlements. They’re inexcusable. They’re unacceptable,” said Baltimore City Council President Nick Mosby.

“It has been precise frustrating for a batch of radical that the taxpayers are connected the hook to support officers who person already been convicted of superior crimes,“ Comptroller Bill Henry said during the spending committee gathering Wednesday. He questions the city’s instrumentality section astir however galore much cases are outstanding. Deputy Chief Counsel Justin Conroy told Henry, “Some of these officers person not been arresting radical since earlier they were indicted successful February and March of 2017. It does basal to crushed that hopefully a bulk of [lawsuits] are down america and we person each crushed to deliberation they are.”

Pettit told Hellgren helium continues to person calls from victims. There are presently 4 cases successful progressive litigation.