The true story of how federal law enforcement flipped the playbook and convicted a corrupt unit of Baltimore police. In 2015 and 2016, Baltimore was reeling after the death of Freddie Gray in police custody and the protests that followed. In the midst of this unrest, the Baltimore Police Department's Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF) roamed the city, robbing people, selling drugs and guns back onto the same streets they were supposed to be policing, and dividing the loot and profit among themselves. Created to trace guns back to the criminals responsible for Baltimore's high crime rates, instead, on March 1, 2017, all members of the GTTF were arrested on federal racketeering charges. In Who Speaks for You?, Leo Wise, the lead prosecutor in the case, provides an inside look into the investigation and prosecution of this elite and corrupt task force. In the months following their arrest, four defendants pled guilty and agreed to testify against their former partners, leading to more charges being brought against additional officers. Wise shares the unbelievable twists and turns of the case, revealing not only what these officers did but how they were brought to justice. He dramatically recounts how his team put together their case, what happened during the trial and court proceedings, and how his team successfully prosecuted these corrupt police officers. This is his firsthand story of a once-in-a-generation police corruption case told from the perspective of the prosecutor who was intimately involved in every aspect of the investigation.
Leo J. Wise (BALTIMORE, MD) is a federal prosecutor in Baltimore, Maryland. He has spent his entire career in public service, serving in all three branches of the federal government and the military. He is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Law School.
Author's Notes Cast of Characters Prologue: Our Foreperson Part One: Investigation 1. The Barn 2. The Alameda 3. East 25th Street 4. North Longwood Street 5. The Winnebago Caper 6. Westminster and the U-Store 7. East Baltimore 8. West Baltimore 9. They're Stealing from Everybody Part Two: Prosecution 10. Indictment 11. The Legacy Task Force Members 12. The Newcomers 13. New Charges, New Defendants 14. Middle River Part Three: Trial 15. Getting Started 16. Cops Testifying Against Cops 17. Drug Dealers Testifying Against Cops 18. Geography is Destiny 19. Choices Afterword Index Notes
The true story of how federal law enforcement flipped the playbook and convicted a corrupt unit of Baltimore police.
