A Buchanan County Sheriff’s Deputy has been recognized for his efforts in drug-trafficking investigations over the past five years.
Deputy J.D. Roberts was honored Thursday during the 14th Annual LECC Training Seminar in Springfield, Mo. with the Guardian of Justice Award.
Roberts is a Buchanan County Drug Strike Force investigator and is assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration as a task force officer. In a press release, Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District said Roberts began a drug-trafficking investigation in 2010 that, over the course of five years, culminated in 151 defendants charged in nine separate federal indictments. To date, there have been three jury trial convictions and dozens of guilty pleas. Additionally, there are still active spin-off investigations and indictments expected this year.
Defendants were charged with participating in conspiracies to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, or other controlled substances and money laundering. Many were charged with various firearm offenses. Money judgments into the millions have been obtained and more will be obtained when the related cases are resolved. These investigations successfully dismantled at least three intertwined multi-jurisdictional drug-trafficking organizations, with three others at least disrupted via the pending charges.
The geographic scope of this investigation initially was limited to the Buchanan County area; however, Roberts worked with DEA partners and the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force to expand into a large area of northwest Missouri, parts of southern Iowa and Nebraska, the Kansas City metropolitan area and Kansas. Roberts also partnered with Midwest HIDTA, the FBI, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and police departments in Kansas City, Mo., Independence, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan.
Also honored during the conference with the Guardian of Justice Award was ICE Agent James D. Holdman for his work deporting a man from the Philippines back to the United States and seeing him placed behind bars for 120 years for sexually abusing five children and producing child pornography.
The annual Guardian of Justice Award recognizes a state or local officer as well as a federal agent for investigative excellence, selfless collaboration, tireless trial support, commendable diligence and professionalism, and noteworthy assistance to prosecution.