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From YouTube: County Officials React to Federal Indictments
Description
Towson, MD (March 26, 2010) In the latest edition of BCUpfront, Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith, Police Chief Jim Johnson, States Attorney Scott Shellenberger, and Councilman Kevin Kamenetz react to the indictments handed down by a federal grand jury on March 25 related to a multi-million dollar organized retail theft operation in the region. The Baltimore County Police Department was the lead investigative unit on this case.
A
The
outstanding
work
of
our
County
Police
Department,
along
with
support
from
Scott
schellenberger
and
his
staff
in
the
Baltimore
County
State's
Attorney's
Office,
and
with
the
Baltimore
City
Police
Department,
and
our
partners
in
the
federal
government,
closes
down
a
massive
criminal
operation
that
was
preying
on
businesses
and
consumers
in
Baltimore
County
in
Baltimore
County.
We
understand
that
public
safety
is
the
foundation
upon
which
all
else
the
government
does
is
built.
People
must
be
safe
in
their
homes
and
their
neighborhoods,
where
they
work
and
where
they
shop.
A
This
ongoing
organized
crime
ring
used
pawn
and
buy
and
sell
shops
to
fence
the
goods
that
were
stolen.
This
type
of
criminal
activity
represents
a
real
threat
to
businesses
and
the
people
who
work
there.
I
applaud
the
men
and
women
at
the
Baltimore
County
Police
Department,
who
helped
bring
these
criminals
to
justice.
The
police
response
to
this
criminal
conspiracy
once
again
sends
a
powerful
but
simple
message:
criminals
are
not
welcome
in
Baltimore,
County
and
crime
will
not
be
tolerated
here.
A
If
you
commit
a
crime
in
Baltimore
County,
you
will
be
arrested,
you
will
be
prosecuted
and
you
will
go
to
jail
as
we
announced
these
indictments.
It
highlights
how
important
it
is
to
remain
each
and
every
day
in
protecting
our
businesses
and
our
communities
from
those
who
would
prey
upon
them
right
now.
In
Annapolis,
there
are
two
bills
before
the
General
Assembly.
A
Regarding
the
regulation
of
scrap
metal,
one
of
those
bills
would
undermine
the
serious
scrap
metal
legislation
already
passed
by
Baltimore
County
and
Baltimore
City
and
replace
it
with
a
much
weaker
state
legislation
which
preempts
the
already
strong
regulations
now
on
the
books
in
the
city
and
the
county
passage
of
that
bill
would
ensure
business
as
usual
for
those
seeking
to
fence
stolen
goods.
The
other
bill
introduced
by
Baltimore,
City
delegate,
Bryan
McHale,
is
modeled
on
the
City
and
County
legislation
and
actually
allows
local
jurisdictions
to
enact
even
stricter
requirements
if
they
so
choose.
A
We
should
all
fight
for
the
passage
of
delegate
Mikhail's,
scrap
metal
legislation
to
give
the
people
of
this
state
and
legitimate
businesses
the
protection
they
need.
This
week's
indictments
show
just
how
important
it
is
that
the
state
legislature
enacted
or
reformed,
and
not
some
simply
something
that
is
reformed
in
name
only
this.
This
week's
indictments
are
a
significant
achievement
for
the
people
of
Baltimore
County.
As
I
often
say,
our
greatest
accomplishments
are
usually
the
result
of
partnership,
and
this
is
no
exception.
A
I
thank
the
United
States
Attorney
for
the
District
of
Maryland
rod,
Rosenstein
and
all
our
federal
partners
for
their
outstanding
work
and
cooperation.
In
this
case,
it
is
an
example
of
just
how
effective
law
enforcement
can
be
when
local
and
federal
law
enforcement
work
in
concert.
I
also
think
at
Baltimore
County,
State's,
Attorney,
Scott
schellenberger
and
in
his
entire
office
for
their
support
in
this
case
and
for
all
their
hard
work
every
day
in
ensuring
the
criminals
in
Baltimore,
County
are
taken
off
the
streets
and
finally,
I.
A
Thank
all
the
members
of
our
Baltimore
County
Police
Department
for
their
outstanding
work
in
this
investigation.
This
case
would
not
have
been
broken
without
their
involvement.
Now
it's
my
pleasure
to
introduce
an
outstanding
police
officer
who
has
always
led
by
example,
and
who
has
done
a
remarkable
job
in
bringing
crime
in
Baltimore
County
to
historic
lows:
the
individual
who
was
in
the
forefront
of
this
investigation
and
that's
our
own
Police
Chief,
Jim
Johnson
jump.
B
Well,
I,
thank
you,
I'll
County
Executive
good
afternoon
when
Thursday
March
25th
this
year,
Baltimore
County
police
investigators,
along
with
federal
authorities,
executed,
32,
starts
and
seizure
warrants
in
Baltimore
County
and
throughout
the
Baltimore
County
metropolitan
area,
and
made
15
arrests
in
a
major
organized
retail
theft
investigation.
This
investigation
was
important
and
very
critical
because
it
brought
to
closure
a
major
major
organized
retail
theft
ring
that
frankly
plagued
our
area.
Our
county.
After
months
of
law
enforcement
investigation
by
the
Baltimore
County
Police
Department,
it
became
apparent
that
this
organization
crossed
numerous
jurisdictional
boundaries.
B
This
caused
us
to
form
partnerships
in
this
investigation
with
numerous
other
local
and
federal
and
state
law
enforcement
agencies.
I
would
like
to
specifically
point
out
and
thank
the
US
Postal
authority
that
worked
with
us
in
a
partnership
in
this
investigation.
From
the
very
beginning
and
throughout
this
matter,
the
Baltimore
County
Police
Department
remained
the
primary
law
enforcement
agency.
B
In
this
investigation,
I
would
like
to
acknowledge
the
outstanding
work
done
by
our
entire
team,
particularly
my
detectives,
who
devoted
hundreds
of
man-hours
to
the
serious
public
safety
issue
that
frankly
impacts
each
and
every
one
of
us.
It
is
estimated
that
the
organized
retail
theft
cost
in
this
nation
alone
over
35
billion
dollars
a
year
and
as
much
as
a
hundred
and
fifteen
billion
dollars
worldwide.
This
case
not
only
has
local
and
national
implications.
It
arguably
has
global
implications
as
well
as
a
result.
This
investigation,
we
seized
extremely
large
quantities
of
retail
products
and
merchandise.
B
The
suspects
in
this
investigation
had
illegally
acquired
massive
quantities
of
retail
items
from
numerous
local
and
national
retail
stores
and
outlets
across
our
region.
It
is
estimated
that
this
ring
had
been
responsible
for
more
than
20
million
dollars
in
retail
theft.
It
should
also
be
noted
that
the
suspects
in
this
investigation
conspired
to
launder
the
proceeds
from
their
operation.
The
indictment
in
this
case
seeks
forfeiture
of
all
proceeds
assets
of
businesses,
as
well
as
numerous
bank
accounts
associated
with
this
operation.
B
B
C
Good
afternoon,
as
you
can
tell,
because
of
the
multi-jurisdictional
nature
of
this,
most
of
these
defendants
will
end
up
in
in
federal
court,
but
I
think.
The
important
thing
that
we
learned
here
today
is
that,
because
we
find
a
ring
or
an
organized
organized
organization
like
this
out
there
committing
these
crimes
now
in
Annapolis
is
not
the
time
to
weaken
some
of
our
laws.
There
is
an
effort
afoot
to
weaken
some
of
the
laws
dealing
with
pawn
shops
and
their
ability
to
report.
C
There's
also
an
effort
afoot
to
weaken
our
scrap
metal
bills,
one
of
which
we
have
a
very
good
one
here
in
Baltimore
County,
so
I
think
that
this
in
is
a
perfect
example
of
why
Annapolis
shouldn't
weaken
our
pawn
shop
bills
and
shouldn't
take
away
Baltimore
County
in
Baltimore
city's
good
and
strong
legislation
in
the
area
of
scrap
metal.
Thank
you.
D
Thank
You
mr.
executive
in
1995
I
drafted
comprehensive
legislation
that
regulated
pawn
shops
in
Baltimore
County
and
if
it
is
true
as
allege
that
the
pawn
shops
are
involved
in
the
buying
and
selling
of
stolen
goods,
I
will
consider,
in
consultation
with
the
administration
and
with
the
industry,
tightening
this
loophole
to
prevent
pawn
shops
from
being
able
to
engage
in
this
behavior
outside
of
their
existing
structure.