Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd asserts that he is “hotter than a bare butt on a tin roof in August” after discovering that a sheriff’s volunteer officer was involved in selling prescription pills while in uniform out of a police vehicle.
David Roberts, 69, was arrested Thursday on weapons and drug trafficking charges.
After learning that a volunteer was selling Oxycodone and that the prescription pills were discovered inside a patrol car, detectives launched an investigation into Roberts’ activities.
An undercover deputy offered Roberts $12 per pill after investigators discovered he had been receiving 90 Oxydone pills per month for the previous two years and selling them for $10 each.
Roberts arranged to meet the undercover deputy at a Lake Wales gas station for the purchase and guided them to his patrol car. Sheriff Judd claims Roberts sat in his uniform in the car while counting the undercover deputy’s cash and then handing over a ziploc bag containing the pills.
“That makes me so crazy I want to pluck my eyeballs out one at a time,” Judd stated.
The deputy followed Roberts back to the sheriff’s substation, where he was arrested, according to PCSO. According to Judd, Roberts allowed deputies to search his home, where they discovered marijuana. Deputies learned that the marijuana belonged to Roberts’ nephew and that he was simply holding it for him.
Deputies also discovered a rifle and a pistol in Roberts’ home, which Judd asserts would not ordinarily be an issue, but was because Roberts was a convicted felon who was not allowed to own weapons.
“You’re talking about an epic system failure,” Judd said. “He’s a convicted felon from 52 years ago.”
Judd says Roberts was arrested for a burglary when he was 19 years old.
“He said, ‘I can’t be a convicted felon, I’ve been voting all the way to Nixon,’” Judd added.
Robert’s, according to Judd, fell through the cracks despite the fact that he has been a volunteer for 12 years. While volunteers are not subjected to the same level of human resources scrutiny and lie detector test tests as full-time workers, he believes a background check should have been conducted.
“We’re embarrassed… Somebody messed up 12 years ago on a background,” Judd stated. “He’s been a stellar volunteer, very well-loved, done a good job, except when he’s selling oxys out of the car, using it as cover. I am livid.”
Because of the felony weapons charges, Judd noted that if Roberts is found guilty, he will be sentenced to prison rather than county jail.
