Two members of a rogue Baltimore police unit were found guilty Monday of a variety of corruption charges — a case that marred what was already a bleak period for the crime-plagued city.
The officers, Daniel Hersl and Marcus Taylor, are among eight Baltimore officers charged with robbing drug dealers, conducting illegal searches, claiming unearned overtime and trying to cover up their crimes. The other six have already pleaded guilty; two testified against their former colleagues.
None of the officers remain on the force, as the police department immediately fired Hersl and Taylor after Monday’s verdicts, officials said.
Newly appointed Commissioner Darryl De Sousa said in a statement that he had officers monitoring the trial, which included new accusations of corruption and new intrigue over the death of Detective Sean Suiter, who was shot to death last fall, a day before he was to testify to a grand jury about the unit, called the Gun Trace Task Force.
The department has created a new corruption unit “that will focus, specifically, on this case and the allegations that were made, but were not part of the indictment or prosecution,” De Sousa said. He added: “Our job moving forward is to earn back the trust and respect of the community.”