BALTIMORE COUNTY POLICE BEAT: Baltimore City Police Officer Spencer Moore charged with drug trafficking

BALTIMORE COUNTY POLICE BEAT: Baltimore City Police Officer Spencer Moore charged with drug trafficking

Baltimore Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle: “We started this investigation and brought Baltimore County Police into it. It involves prescription drugs, another person was charged with him, my message here today is to talk about the arrest and that any type of behavior is not in the best interest of the department is not going to be tolerated.”

When asked questions at a press conference about Officer Spencer Moore, Tuggle said, “He has been suspended with pay initially and now has been changed to suspended without pay; I’m not going to into his prior disciplinary history.”

Baltimore County Police report that on July 24, 2018, Baltimore County police officers were in the area of the 1600-block of Forrest Park Avenue, when they observed a man, later identified as Baltimore City Police Officer Spencer Moore driving a silver Lexus. Officers saw Moore get out of the Lexus and walk up to a white Chevrolet pickup truck in the same parking lot.

Police say that Moore handed an object to the driver of the pickup truck and then started to walk back to the Lexus. Officers immediately recognized this as a narcotics transaction. Spencer Moore and the driver of the Chevrolet later identified as Keon Bennett was detained to continue the investigation. A subsequent search of the Lexus revealed three pill bottles containing over 100 Oxycodone pills. Two of the bottles inside the car did not have prescription labels attached. Officers located Marijuana on the driver of the pickup truck and Oxycodone pills inside the truck. Both Moore and Bennett were arrested at the scene.

County officers learned that Spencer is an officer with the Baltimore Police Department. Moore has been charged with possession with the intent to distribute a narcotic, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, and obtaining a prescription by fraud. He is being held without bail at the Baltimore County Jail.

Keon Bennett has been charged with two counts of possession with the intent to distribute a narcotic, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of over 10 grams of Marijuana, and obtaining a prescription by fraud. He is being held on $50,000 bail at the Baltimore County Department of Corrections.

Baltimore Police worked in coordination with County officers during this investigation.

Keon Kevin Bennett, of 1409 Vida Driver, Gwynn Oak, Md., has a preliminary hearing on Aug. 24, 2018, and was released from jail after posting bond on July 25, 2018.

Bennett was indicted by a County Grand Jury in Circuit Court with multiple counts of drug dealing and in a plea deal with the Baltimore County States Attorney Scott Shellenberger on April 5, 2018, Bennett entered a guilty plea to possession of drugs other than marijuana. THE DEAL: No jail time and no fine a verdict of Probation Before Judgement and 18 months of probation and sentenced to attend a drug education program – a pretty silly deal for the tough prosecutor to agree to when it is apparent – even to a lawyer – that Bennett knows all he needs to know about drugs. The other charges in the indictment issued by the Grand Jury, that Shellenberger presented the evidence of which he obtained the indictments in the first place – were all dropped by him as part of the deal.

When States Attorney Shellenberger filed criminal information charges of illegal wearing and possession of a handgun in a vehicle against Bennett in 2013, the charge was put on the Stet Docket on August 28, 2013.

Baltimore Police Officer Spencer Moore faces a preliminary hearing on Aug. 24, 2018, in District Court in Towson, Md., and court records do not reflect an attorney listed to defend him.