Keith Allen Gladstone, Conspiracy to Deprive Civil Rights, Maryland 2014

BALTIMORE, MD – Keith Allen Gladstone, 51, of New Park, Pennsylvania, a former Baltimore Police Sergeant, admitted in federal court today to a calculated scheme to obstruct justice and violate the civil rights of an arrestee. Gladstone pleaded guilty to conspiracy to deprive civil rights, a charge stemming from his deliberate act of planting a BB gun at the scene of an arrest to fabricate evidence.

The case, announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jennifer L. Moore of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, reveals a disturbing pattern of misconduct within the Baltimore Police Department. According to the plea agreement, on the evening of March 26, 2014, Gladstone received a panicked call regarding an officer who had accidentally struck an arrestee, identified as D.S., with his vehicle. Instead of ensuring medical attention and a transparent investigation, Gladstone took matters into his own hands.

Gladstone procured a BB gun from another officer and, accompanied by Officer 1, drove to the scene on Anntana Avenue and Belair Road. He then deliberately placed the BB gun near the injured D.S. – a blatant attempt to justify the arrest with fabricated evidence. Gladstone then directed a fellow sergeant, in the presence of Officer 3, to the location of the planted weapon, stating, “it’s over by the truck,” or words to that effect. D.S. was subsequently charged with possession and use of the planted weapon, remaining detained until at least April 2, 2014, before the charges were ultimately dropped.

The rot ran deeper. Following the arrest of seven members of the Baltimore Police Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF) on federal racketeering charges, Gladstone attempted to coordinate a cover-up with Officer 1. The pair met in a deliberately chosen location – a swimming pool – to avoid potential recording devices. There, Gladstone instructed Officer 1 to falsely claim they were at the scene for “scene security” and to lie about the origin of the BB gun, stating it came from Gladstone’s trunk, a fabrication designed to shield themselves from scrutiny.

“Prosecuting criminals who work in police agencies is essential both to protect our communities and to support the many honorable officers whose reputations they unfairly tarnish,” stated U.S. Attorney Hur. Gladstone, who served with the BPD from 1992 until 2017 with a brief reinstatement period, now faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for his conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for September 13, 2019, at 9:15 a.m.

This case adds another layer to the ongoing scandal surrounding the GTTF and highlights the pervasive corruption that plagued the Baltimore Police Department. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have vowed to hold accountable all those who abused their power and violated the public trust. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leo J. Wise and Derek E. Hines are prosecuting the case.

Related Federal Cases