A confidential tip led police straight to a murder suspect hiding in a closet inside a Washington, D.C., apartment. Within an hour, the suspect was in custody.
A combined reward of up to $40,000 had been advertised for information leading to an arrest.
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But the person who provided the crucial information was offered just $5,000 by Prince George’s County Crime Solvers — one-fifth of the organization’s advertised $25,000 maximum.
So who decides what a tip is worth? Why are those decisions being made behind closed doors? Plus, Crime Stoppers programs have helped law enforcement identify and apprehend countless criminals, solve serious crimes, and make communities safer. Their contributions to public safety are significant and deserve recognition.
A 7News I-Team investigation uncovered questions about how Crime Solvers organizations across the DMV region determine reward payments, including internal guidelines they refuse to release, the absence of written agreements with police departments, and no formal appeals process for tipsters who dispute their payouts.
In 2022, 20-year-old Darrion Herring was shot and killed at The Mall in Hyattsville, Maryland.
Prince George’s County Police publicized a combined reward of up to $40,000 for information leading to an arrest.
The U.S. Marshals Service offered $15,000, while police and Prince George’s County Crime Solvers advertised up to $25,000.
A confidential tipster contacted then-D.C. Police Sergeant Curtis Sloan, a 35-year veteran of the Metropolitan Police Departmentand provided the exact location where the murder suspect was hiding.
“I made the call. I gave the location, and within an hour he was arrested,” the tipster told 7News Investigative Reporter Scott Taylor.
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The suspect was later convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The U.S. Marshals Service paid its full $15,000 reward.
But Prince George’s County Crime Solvers offered just $5,000 of its advertised maximum of $25,000.
According to Sloan, who is no longer with MPD, Crime Solvers said the tipster did not qualify for the full amount because the information did not identify the suspect or establish probable cause for the crime.
“Well, that’s sort of difficult for anyone to identify a subject, develop a probable cause, and find him. That’s like win, place, or show,” Sloan said.
The tipster rejected the $5,000 offer.
“I just wanted to do something positive for a change,” the tipster said.
7News is withholding the tipster’s identity because of concerns for their personal safety. The tipster said providing the information involved significant personal risk and that the reward dispute has changed their willingness to help police in the future.
“They wonder why it’s so hard to trust, or why people don’t come forward with information. It’s because of this,” the tipster said.
When asked whether the experience had stopped them from providing additional tips, the response was direct.
“Yes.”
Sloan said confidential sources are essential to solving serious crimes.
“Any detective would tell you sources are the most important part of your information you could ever have in closing these types of cases,” Sloan said.
Who decides what a tip is worth? Crime Solvers won’t reveal its rules.
The 7News I-Team asked Prince George’s County Police how Crime Solvers determines reward payments.
Police said Prince George’s County Crime Solvers is an independent nonprofit organization that sets reward amounts using its own criteria. When 7News asked Crime Solvers to explain those criteria, the organization would not provide them.
Our investigation also found that while Prince George’s County Crime Solvers has a county government email address, the police department has no contract, official policy document, or written agreement with the organization governing the relationship.
The I-Team uncovered a similar dispute in Montgomery County.
Following a 2022 shooting in Silver Spring, Maryland, Montgomery County Police and Montgomery County Crime Solvers advertised a reward of up to $10,000.
A confidential source identified two suspects and provided information about where they lived, leading to an arrest.
The tipster expected a $10,000 payment. Instead, the tipster was offered just $2,000.
The reason? The information had been provided directly to police rather than through Crime Solvers.
Montgomery County Crime Solvers told 7News that it is an independent nonprofit funded entirely through donations. Its volunteer board determines reward amounts using internal guidelines.
When the I-Team requested those guidelines, Crime Solvers declined to provide them.
Montgomery County Police also confirmed it has no written policy governing how Crime Solvers makes its reward decisions, although the department provides the organization with a tip line. Montgomery County Crime Solvers declined our request for an on-camera interview.
Prince George’s County Crime Solvers provided no statement and declined to be interviewed.
D.C. Crime Solvers also provided no statement and declined an interview.
The I-Team found no formal appeals process at any of the three organizations for tipsters who believe their reward payments were unfairly reduced.
In Washington, D.C., one man is taking his fight over a Crime Solvers reward to court.
Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Tom Donohue said he expected a $25,000 reward after providing a tip that led to an arrest in a 2020 murder case.
Instead, he received $5,000.
Donohue has filed a lawsuit challenging the handling of the reward, focusing on what he describes as a lack of formal, written standards governing payouts.
“The evidence I am about to file today proves that public promises are a shell game,” Donohue said at a press conference outside of DC District Court.
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He believes the lack of transparency undermines public confidence in a program designed to encourage people to help police solve dangerous crimes.
“The Crime Solvers reward program is in the shadows because I think they can do what they want with it. Being transparent is important to the success of the program itself,” Donohue said.
His lawsuit raises a central question: What obligations do Crime Solvers organizations have when they publicly advertise rewards but ultimately offer tipsters substantially less?
Here are the official Crime Solvers tip lines for all three jurisdictions:
- Washington, D.C.1-800-673-2777 or Text 50411
- Montgomery County, MD1-866-411-8477 or 240-773-8477 or Text “MoCo” to 73TIPS
- Prince George’s County, MD1-866-411-8477 or Text @PGCrimeSolvers to 738477
The I-Team found that disputes over reward eligibility are not confined to the DMV. In Louisiana, a woman who helped authorities catch a serial killer was denied a reward because she contacted police directly rather than submitting her information through Crime Solvers.
The case highlights how the method used to submit a tip can affect eligibility for a reward, even when the information helps authorities capture a dangerous suspect.
The 7News I-Team will continue monitoring Donohue’s lawsuit and seeking answers from Crime Solvers organizations about how reward decisions are made behind closed doors.
Source: wjla.com
