baltimoresun.com
By Tricia Bishop, The Baltimore Sun
6:31 PM EDT, October 18, 2011
Federal prosecutors have filed new charges against two more Baltimore police officers, who were earlier charged in a widespread extortion scheme involving kickbacks from an auto repair shop.
Osvaldo Valentine and Jerry Edward Diggs Jr. were each charged with conspiracy and extortion connected to the case via separate criminal informations filed last month and are scheduled to appear in Baltimore’s U.S. District Court on the claims next week.
They were previously charged with conspiracy in documents filed this winter against them and 15 other officers, along with two owners of Majestic Auto Repair Shop in Rosedale, which was accused of paying police for business referrals.
More than half of the those other defendants were also charged again via criminal information, which led to guilty pleas in each case. Diggs attorney declined to say Tuesday whether his client also intends to plead guilty, and Valentine’s lawyer could not be reached.
Prosecutors said in court documents that they plan to file a superseding indictment against the remaining defendants — about seven police officers.
Copyright © 2011, The Baltimore Sun