9781421446509

1421446502

9781421446516

"This book is on the investigation and prosecution of Baltimore Police Department's Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF), a group of detectives who were both cops and robbers at the same time. The GTTF was supposed to trace guns back to the criminals responsible for Baltimore's stubbornly high rate of violent crime. Instead, federal authorities traced dozens of robberies, burglaries, and even an armed home invasion to the members of the GTTF. In 2015 and 2016, Baltimore was reeling from the death of Freddie Gray, the unrest that followed it and an explosion of violent crime that followed the unrest"-- Provided by publisher.

"The true story of how federal law enforcement flipped the playbook and convicted a corrupt unit of Baltimore police.In 2015 and 2016, Baltimore was reeling after the death of Freddie Gray in police custody and the protests that followed. In the midst of this unrest, the Baltimore Police Department's Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF) roamed the city, robbing people, selling drugs and guns back onto the same streets they were supposed to be policing, and dividing the loot and profit among themselves. Created to trace guns back to the criminals responsible for Baltimore's high crime rates, instead, on March 1, 2017, all members of the GTTF were arrested on federal racketeering charges.In Who Speaks for You?, Leo J. Wise, the lead prosecutor in the case, provides an inside look into the investigation and prosecution of this elite and corrupt task force. In the months following their arrest, four defendants pled guilty and agreed to testify against their former partners, leading to more charges being brought against additional officers. Wise shares the unbelievable twists and turns of the case, revealing not only what these officers did but how they were brought to justice. He dramatically recounts how his team put together their case, what happened during the trial and court proceedings, and how his team successfully prosecuted these corrupt police officers. This is his firsthand story of a once-in-a-generation police corruption case told from the perspective of the prosecutor who was intimately involved in every aspect of the investigation"-- Provided by publisher.

Cast of characters

Prologue: our foreperson

Part I: investigation

The barn

The Alameda

East 25th Street

North Longwood Street

The Winnebago caper

Westminster and the u-store

East Baltimore

West Baltimore

They're stealing from everybody

Part II: prosecution

Indictment

The legacy task force members

The newcomers

New charges, new defendants

Middle river

Part III: trial

Getting started

Cops testifying against cops

Drug dealers testifying against cops

Geography is destiny

Choices.

Baltimore (Md.). Police Department. Gun Trace Task Force > Corrupt practices.

Police corruption > Maryland > Baltimore.