Seventh Baltimore Police Officer Pleads Guilty in Towing Scheme

A 33-year-old Baltimore City police officer is the latest law enforcement officer to plead guilty to .

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland, Jhonn Corona of Rosedale pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court to "conspiracy to commit and committing extortion under color of official right" in connection with the scheme.

The owners of Majestic Auto Repair paid Corona and other Baltimore City Police officers to arrange for their company, rather than a city-authorized company, to tow vehicles from accident scenes and make repairs, the release stated.

According to Corona’s plea agreement, beginning in 2008, the officer contacted Majestic owners Herman Alexis Moreno and Edwin Javier Mejia for towing and repair services, even though Majestic was not an authorized Baltimore City towing company.

In exchange, the owners paid Corona $150, and later $300, for each vehicle he referred to Majestic, according to the release.

Corona then persuaded accident victims to allow their cars to be sent to Majestic by telling the victims that the business could tow the car, provide repair services, help with the insurance claim, assist in getting a rental car and waive the owner’s deductible.

According to the news release, Corona and Moreno also intentionally drove the officer’s personal car into a pole to make a false claim with his insurance company. After inspection, the insurance company declared Corona’s car to be a total loss and paid Corona $3,238.57 for the vehicle.

Corona faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy, up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,0000 for the extortion charge.

Sentencing is set for March 9, 2012.

Corona is the seventh city police officer to , after 17 were charged.

Moreno, 30, of Rosedale, and Mejia, 27, of Middle River, . They are scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 18.