WASHINGTON — A small town police chief is facing criminal charges after a 海角社区app investigation uncovered a parking ticket to the mayor went unpaid for more than a year.
Edmonston Police Chief Stephen E. Walker has been charged with two counts of malfeasance in office, according to a summons issued on Monday.
Edmonston is a small town near Hyattsville with about 1,400 residents.
海角社区app that current Mayor Tracy Farrish Gant received a parking ticket in early 2014, but the ticket went unpaid until March 2015. 聽The ticket was paid the same day that 海角社区app began asking questions, although town officials wrote that the payment came hours before our initial contact. 聽The town did not explain why the ticket went unpaid for 410 days, or why it was paid on that day, of all dates.
But multiple sources tell 海角社区app that Walker voided the ticket illegally, then reinstated the ticket when Ticketbuster and prosecutors began asking questions. 聽Gant told residents at a town council meeting that she would be transparent, as would Walker, and that they would consider bringing in an outside party to adjudicate parking tickets.
“As it is not a moving violation, the chief has the discretion to cancel a ticket, though of course will no longer, after this was brought to light. I do not think it is an abuse of power, not on the mayor鈥檚 point. 聽Had she known about the ticket, I believe she would have paid it,” writes Councilmember Margaret Pooley in an e-mail to 海角社区app.
Walker kept his job , despite a push from Facebook group called 鈥淓dmonston Residents for Change.鈥� 聽An anonymous member of the group sent fliers around the town calling for Walker’s termination, alleging that he covered up a staff member caught committing sexual acts inside town hall while on-duty and in uniform.
“I support the Chief and find it confusing that his integrity has been challenged with no evidence and allegations made by an anonymous individual. Were the allegations not baseless, i would take them seriously, but i have listened to the Chief address each and find them specious,” writes Pooley.
Walker has kept his job on a narrow 3-2 vote in the council. 聽Councilmembers Sophia E. Layne-Bee and Selita J. Bennett-White have asked some critical questions and believe Walker needs to resign, but were unable to get answers or get the votes to oust him. 聽The key tiebreaker vote is Gant, who supports the chief fully.
It’s unclear whether the malfeasance in office charges are exclusively related to the unpaid parking ticket and an alleged cover-up, or whether it includes the allegations in the anonymous flier.
It is also unclear whether聽authorities聽will investigate allegations that Walker is misusing to evade speed and red light cameras in Prince George’s County.
Town Attorney Suellen Fergueson and other town officials did not respond to a request for comment late Monday evening, but they have previously denied all allegations against them.
