Overview

• Daniel Hersl, a former Baltimore police officer convicted in the Gun Trace Task Force corruption scandal, had his request for compassionate release denied by a federal judge.
• Hersl, sentenced to 18 years in prison for racketeering and robbery, was recently diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer and has less than 18 months to live.
• Hersl was part of the Gun Trace Task Force, a unit that was supposed to combat violent crime but instead committed crimes including robbing drug dealers and planting evidence.
• Prosecutors said Hersl 'devalued' people he dealt with as an officer and 'abused his power to prey on them', also committing rampant overtime fraud.
• Judge George L. Russell III denied Hersl's request, citing the seriousness of his crimes and the damage they caused to the reputation of the Baltimore City Police Department.