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Officials announced on Thursday, July 28 that former detective Robert Hankard, 46, has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison followed by three years supervised release for criminal civil rights violations and obstruction of justice, according to the Department of Justice.
Hankard provided items such as BB guns and drugs to be planted on subjects and falsified applications for search warrants, arrest reports, and police reports, officials added.
Hankard joined the Baltimore Police Department (BDP) in 2007, receiving a promotion to detective in March 2014.
Only days after receiving the promotion to detective, an off-duty Hankard was contacted by his partner who advised him that Sgt. Wayne Jenkins had been "hemmed up" in something. Hankard's partner then asked the detective if he had any "toys" or "replicas" he could provide to be planted on a subject.
Hankard provided his partner with a BB gun to be planted at the scene of the arrest of "D.S." after Jenkins had run him over during a chase.
While in the hospital, drugs were also mysteriously recovered from D.S. after being transported there by Baltimore Police.
At the time of the arrest of D.S., no guns or drugs were found on him.
Hankard falsely testified in front of a grand jury that he did not provide the gun to his partner to be planted at the scene, according to investigators. The charges against D.S. were eventually dismissed in January 2015.
Furthermore, Hankard and other officers arrested a second subject, "I.R", in March of 2015, in the 5100 block of Falls Road.
Hankard took the apartment keys belonging to I.R. and entered the residence that I.R. had been seen leaving earlier that day, without a search warrant, officials continued.
Hankard found a bag inside of a closet of the residence he unlawfully entered that contained drug paraphernalia and heroin, and returned to BPD to prepare a search warrant for the apartment.
Several BPD officers remained inside the unlawfully entered apartment and called the resident "I.C." to come home, which she voluntarily did, and waited inside of the apartment with the officers.
On the evening of the unlawful search, Hankard appeared before a judge and swore out the search warrant he he prepared after entering the apartment, not disclosing that he and other officers had entered the residence prior to obtaining the warrant, or that he had found and opened a bag with drug paraphernalia, prosecutors noted.
Hankard obtained the warrant and returned to the apartment, seizing the bag he had previously searched, and arresting I.C., resulting in I.R. being charged with drug offenses.
In a third incident, Hankard arrested "D.B", as he sat in a vehicle in a motel parking lot. A search of the vehicle was performed, but no drugs were found.
Officers then went into the room where D.B. had been staying and found a woman and a large quantity of heroin and a small amount of cocaine, officials said.
After learning that no drugs had been found in the truck, Hankard allowed an officer to plant drugs in the vehicle to justify the search of the motel room and arrest of D.B. and the woman.
Hankard again wrote a search warrant for the motel room containing several false statements, and a falsified report of the incident in order to justify the officers' actions.
“Marylanders deserve the right to honest and fair criminal proceedings, including law enforcement officials that always serve with integrity,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron.
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