Fifth Baltimore officer pleads guilty in task force scandal

BALTIMORE – A fifth Baltimore police officer accused in a gun task force conspiracy has pleaded guilty.

Federal prosecutors say in a news release that 49-year-old Sgt. Thomas Allers pleaded guilty on Wednesday to racketeering conspiracy and racketeering offences, including nine robberies.

Allers is the former head of the Gun Trace Task Force. Eight members of that unit have been indicted on charges that include robbery, extortion, and selling drugs seized during police operations.

Nine police officers, including one in Philadelphia, have been indicted in the conspiracy.

Allers faces a maximum of 20 years in prison at sentencing in February.