FREDERICK, Md. — Frederick County Sheriff Charles Austin Jenkins is facing charges after the Department of Justice said he unlawfully purchased machine guns for years.
According to the DOJ, 66-year-old Jenkins was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy and false statements in order to acquire machine guns.
Jenkins was charged alongside a second man, 36-year-old Robert Justin Krop, who was also charged with illegal possession of machine guns.
The six-count indictment alleges that between August 2015 and May 2022, Jenkins and Krop worked together to unlawfully buy machine guns and falsify multiple documents on the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office letterhead requesting machine guns for evaluation and demonstration to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.
Prosecutors claim Krop drafted these documents for Jenkins' signature.
The pair allegedly knew that there would never be a demonstration of the machine guns to the sheriff's office, and that the guns were actually intended to be rented by Krop's customers.
According to the indictment, Krop is the owner of The Machine Gun Nest, an indoor shooting range, in Frederick County.
Officials claim the shooting range received more than $100,000 in profits from the machine gun rentals in 2018 and 2019 alone.
Krop reportedly had seven machine guns in his possession. The indictment alleges that his business offered political support to the sheriff in recognition of his support for the business.
The indictment references letters between the gun range and Jenkins which falsely stated that the machine guns were "particularly suitable for use as a law enforcement weapon, due to cost, availability and its use in day to day to patrol as well as special operations," when in reality at least one of the machine guns was not. One of the weapons listed as only being suitable for combat.
The indictment claims for years, Jenkins signed law letters on Frederick County Sheriff's Office letterhead, addressed to Krop and his business falsely stating interest in firearm demonstrations for several brands of machine guns.
Those letters were reportedly sent to licensed dealers and the ATF's NFA division. Based on the official letter, the transfer of the machine guns was approved to Krop and his business.
As of Wednesday, The Machine Gun Nest's website still lists guns matching federal officials' descriptions available for rent.
"The sheriff knew about the investigation for about a year, and were we surprised by an indictment, yes the indictment surprised us," said Frederick County Sheriff's Office spokesperson, Todd Wivell, during a Wednesday news conference. Wivell also announced that Jenkins would continue serving as the county's sheriff despite the indictment.
In a statement, Jenkins said he has been advised by his attorney to not comment on the issue adding, "I have been in constant communication with the DOJ and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for over a year and have been 100% cooperative throughout the course of this investigation."
Jenkins was elected sheriff in Frederick County in 2006 and was most recently re-elected in 2022.
If convicted, the men face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy, for false statements in records maintained by a federal firearms licensee and for false statements to federal law enforcement. Krop could receive an additional sentence of 10 years in federal prison for illegal possession of a machine gun.
We reached out to Krop's legal team for comment but have not received a response.
A spokesperson for the County Executive and County Council released the following statement:
"The Sheriff is a duly elected official, serving in a role established in the Maryland Constitution. The County Executive and County Council play no role in the operation of the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office beyond funding the division," according to the Frederick County Code and Charter. "Any questions about the indictment should be directed to the Department of Justice. Questions surrounding the duties of the Sheriff should be directed to the Maryland Office of the Attorney General."