Pa. man gets 81/2 years in robbery linked to task force

A Pennsylvania man was sentenced Wednesday to 81/2 years in federal prison for committing an armed robbery alongside a corrupt Baltimore police detective. Thomas Finnegan, 38, of Easton, Pa., pleaded guilty in December to the robbery. His civilian co-defendant, David Rahim, 42, of Baltimore, was sentenced in March to five years for the robbery. U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake also ordered them to pay back the $20,000 they stole. According to plea agreements by the two men, members of the Gun Trace Task Force, including Rahim’s cousin, Detective Jemell Rayam, 42, searched a South Baltimore pigeon supply store in June 2014. During the search, officers discovered $20,000 in cash. Donna Curry and Jeffrey Shore, owners of Patapsco Feed & Supplies, said they had borrowed the cash from friends and family to pay off debt on two homes. Afterward, Rayam, who was also charged in the robbery, told Finnegan and Rahim about the money, prosecutors said. And they plotted to rob the couple at their home later that evening. Rayam gave Finnegan and Rahim police tactical gear to impersonate officers during the robbery, and waited outside in a police car so he could intercept any responding officers. Finnegan and Rahim entered the home and robbed the couple at gunpoint of the $20,000. The robbery was part of a long-running corruption scheme carried out by members of the rogue police unit and their accomplices. Eight Baltimore police officers have been convicted of robbing drug dealers and cheating on their overtime pay. Five of the officers have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from seven to 25 years. The other three await sentencing.

—?Tim Prudente

Boy, 10, in critical condition after being hit by cab

A 10-year-old boy is in critical condition after he was struck by a cab Tuesday evening in Upper Fells Point, according to police. The boy was riding a skateboard in the 1900 block of Bank Street at about 6 p.m. Tuesday when he was hit by a yellow cab van, Baltimore police spokesman T.J. Smith said at a news conference Wednesday. “We believe that the injuries are survivable at this time, but a 10-year old boy is in critical condition, and the vehicle that struck him kept going,” Smith said. Smith described the vehicle as a “yellow cab van,” but said it was unclear which company the cab was affiliated with. Police are searching for the driver and for cab vans with signs of damage, Smith said. Smith called for the driver to turn himself or herself in to police. “Turn yourself in. Explain what happened,” Smith said. “It could be a logical explanation as to what happened, but leaving the scene of an accident is a crime.” Police are looking into video footage from the area, and asking anyone with information about the hit-and-run to come forward.

—?Sarah Meehan

City police announce ‘Safe Place’ partnership

Baltimore police announced Wednesday the “Safe Place” initiative to provide victims a place to wait for responding officers after a crime has occurred. The program is a voluntary partnership between the department and participating local businesses that display rainbow-colored stickers that read “Safe Place.” Those businesses agree to train employees to call police and provide a space for victims to wait until an officer can respond. “If a victim of a crime enters your business, all your staff should do is call 911” and allow the victim to remain on the property until police arrive, said Sgt. Kevin Bailey, the Police Department’s LGBTQ liaison, at a news conference announcing the new initiative Wednesday. While the idea was initially aimed to support LGBTQ victims, he said the program in Baltimore can help support all crime victims.

—?Jessica Anderson