A motion filed earlier this week by federal prosecutors shows Frederick County Sheriff Charles Jenkins “regretted” signing letters that allowed a gun shop owner to obtain combat-style machine guns.
Jenkins was indicted in April for allegedly helping Robert Krop get machine guns and conspiring with him to rent the weapons to private citizens. Jenkins pleaded not guilty to five counts of conspiracy and making false statements.
The indictment alleges Krop wrote five letters between 2015 and 2023 for Jenkins to sign requesting machine gun demonstrations for potential future purchase by the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.
The motion filed this week details how undercover federal investigators tried to prove Krop had illegal machine guns at his Frederick business The Machine Gun Nest. It shows Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigators rented six machine guns in February 2022. They confirmed at least two of the machine guns were obtained through the letters Jenkins signed.
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Jenkins claims he signed the letters to help Krop’s small business.
Last month, Jenkins’ attorneys filed a motion asking the court to dismiss the charges and separate the two trials. Prosecutors have asked the court to deny those requests.
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