He blames the Biden administration for the charges.
Dan Cox
FREDERICK, Md. (KM) The attorney for the owner of a machine gun nest in Frederick is preparing if the federal government sues his client again. Dan Cox, who is also running for Congress from the 6th District, recently talked about that on WFMD's Morning News Express.
Last year, Machine Gun Nest owner Robert Cropp, along with Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins, was indicted by a federal grand jury on five counts of conspiracy to illegally obtain machine guns and making false statements. . Both men have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Kropp's trial was scheduled to begin in October, but last week U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher dismissed the charges, saying the defendant's right to a speedy trial had been violated. “The Speedy Trial Act of 1974 requires a trial within 70 days,” Cox said. “Since it was last year, I calculated that there were about 333 people.”
Charges against Jenkins remain pending. But Cox concluded: “Mr. Kropp is a free man and there is no charge against them and therefore there is no charge against the sheriff.”
He blamed the Biden administration, naming Attorney General Merrick Garland for the accusations against Crop and Jenkins. : “This is all because my client is leaning in the opposite direction from Biden. This is Biden's legal act attacking our community. And I'm not sure if former President Trump is going to say, 'They're going to attack my community.' “I'm not seriously aiming for that,” he said. 'I'm just a nuisance.' That's true,' he says.
Cox said the reason for the attack on Kropp and Jenkins was because the sheriff participated in the federal government's 287g program, which determines the immigration status of suspects arrested by deputies. “This all has to do with the Biden administration's border policy attacking little beautiful Frederick. Why? Because we actually have a 287g program with ICE {Immigration and Customs Enforcement} and they And that's extremely important here,” Cox said.
Sheriff Jenkins has come under fire for participating in the 287g program. His critics say it is an effort to deport all illegal immigrants, even for minor crimes.
As part of his decision, Judge Gallagher gave federal prosecutors three weeks to prepare a new indictment. Cox said he would be ready if new charges were filed. “I believe we won,” he said. “If the government attempts to reclaim my client, this means that if the government attempts to reclaim my client, it will be malicious, intentional, vindictive, and violating our constitutional freedoms. It's another proof that it's horribly destroyed. Now I have extra power to go after them, because the law is the law and I can't do that to people. It applies not only to us but also to the government.”
Written by Kevin McManus
