In the Spring of 2017, a police corruption scandal rocked the city of Baltimore, and the heart of it was an elite undercover unit called the Gun Trace Task Force.

American scandal is a podcast from Wundery that takes you deep into the most infamous

scandals in American history, from presidential lies to environmental disasters and corporate

fraud.

Their new season looks at a Baltimore police unit

that was supposed to get guns off the streets

and reduce violence in the community,

but they operated with little oversight,

and instead became a breeding ground for rogue cops.

Federal officials uncovered a team that was abusing their power,

leading to the officers being charged with robbery, extortion, fraud, and selling drugs seized during police operations.

Some were quick to dismiss the arrest as a case of a few bad apples, but an investigation would later reveal a culture of corruption

that was systemic within the Baltimore PD and had been for a long time.

You're about to hear a preview of American scandal. While you're

listening, follow American scandal on the Wondery app or wherever you get

your podcast. us. It's March 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Sergeant Wayne Jenkins sits behind the wheel of an unmarked police car, scanning the sidewalk as he drives down a residential street in the northwest section of the city.

It's mid-afternoon, and outside Jenkins window all he can see are local kids walking home from school

while some older folks in the neighborhood sit on porches, watching the cars go by.

It all looks perfectly quaint, but Jenkins knows that in the city of Baltimore things aren't always what they seem.

Jenkins is the leader of an elite plainclothes unit within the Baltimore Police Department.

Unlike most cops, Jenkins and his team don't have to wear uniforms or respond to 911 calls.

...