Baltimore Police Officer Convicted of Attempted Theft

BALTIMORE, MD ( December 1, 2009) - Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced today that Hikeem Dennis Crampton, Sr., 30, of Rosedale, was sentenced on a single count of attempted felony theft. Judge G. Edward Dwyer of the Frederick County Circuit Court imposed a two year suspended sentence, two years probation, and 100 hours of community service.

In January 2008, Crampton, a Baltimore City police officer, traded in a Cadillac Escalade at Carz Unlimited, a used car dealership that is no longer in operation. Crampton canceled his insurance and turned in the title soon thereafter. Carz Unlimited resold the car without paying off Crampton’s loan. Therefore, MVA records still had the car titled to Crampton and owing payments on the car loan. In October 2008, Crampton obtained a duplicate title and reinstated his insurance. He then filed an insurance claim with his insurance company stating that Carz Unlimited had stolen his car. Crampton supported his claim with sworn written and oral statements in which he falsely stated that he had taken the Escalade to Carz Unlimited for repairs in August. State Farm Insurance Company, which insured the Escalade, did not pay the claim.

This conviction follows a joint investigation by the Insurance Fraud Division of the Maryland Insurance Administration, the Regional Auto Theft Task Force, the Maryland State Police, and the Office of the Attorney General.