Ex-Gun Trace Task Force member Daniel Hersl's request for early prison release denied

BALTIMORE - Daniel Hersl, a former Baltimore City Police detective serving 18 years in federal prison for his role in the Gun Trace Task Force Scandal, had his early release request denied, a judge ruled.

Hersl asked for a "compassionate" early release from prison after a cancer diagnosis.

Hersl, currently incarcerated at a Bureau of Prisons Medical Center in Missouri, is five years into his sentence after being convicted on racketeering and robbery charges in 2018 for his role in the disgraced Gun Trace Task Force.

Prosecutors said Hersl, and other members of the unit, abused their power to prey on people, in some instances, robbing citizens or planting drugs or firearms on them.  

In an emergency motion, Hersl requested to be released on home detention while his family cares for him.

Hersl is now 53 years old and was diagnosed last month with metastatic prostate cancer. The emergency motion filed Tuesday shows a doctor determined he likely had less than 18 months to live.

"As to the Defendants history and characteristics, the court is sympathetic to his significant medical conditions," the ruling said. "The Court also recognizes the need for palliative care. The Bureau of Prisons, however, is capable of managing the Defendant's medical condition and he is able to interact with his family during his period of incarceration."