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Frederick Co. sheriff seeks separate trial in Maryland machine gun conspiracy case

Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins wants to be tried separately from the Maryland gun dealer he’s accused of conspiring with.

Charles Austin “Chuck” Jenkins, 66, was indicted by a federal grand jury in April on charges of conspiracy and making false statements when he helped gun shop owner Robert Justin Krop, 36, obtain machine guns to rent to the public.

Jenkins’ attorneys filed a motion Wednesday, asking he be tried separately from Krop, whose business is called The Machine Gun Nest.

According to his attorneys, Jenkins never had “any financial incentive or fraudulent intent,” when he helped get the guns for Krop’s business.

His lawyers wrote, “Defendant Jenkins never received anything of value for his supposed role in this conspiracy — not money, rentals, use of the gun range, political contributions, or anything else of value.”

Jenkins was elected to his fifth term last fall. He announced he was taking a leave of absence in April, after pleading not guilty to the federal charges.

According to online court records, Krop’s lawyers have not yet responded to Jenkins’ request for a separate trial.

National Jazz Museum in Harlem celebrates 100 years of Disney with jazz tribute in Frederick, Maryland

This fall marks the 100th anniversary of The Walt Disney Company, which was founded on Oct. 16, 1923. This Sunday night, the Weinberg Center in Frederick, Maryland hosts the final tour stop of "When You Wish Upon a Star: A Jazz Tribute to 100 Years of Disney," which is presented by the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.
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