ST. CROIX — United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced Wednesday that Leroy Roebuck, Jr., 36, of St. Croix, appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III, for his initial appearance hearing after being charged with possession with intent to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine. Roebuck was ordered detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for April 28, 2023.
If convicted, Roebuck faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, on April 25, 2023, Roebuck agreed to sell 60 kilograms of cocaine at a price of $900,000 to an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent. However, on April 26, 2023, Roebuck contacted the undercover agent to advise that he was only willing to sell 50 kilograms of cocaine, as the remaining 10 kilograms were of poor quality.
After arriving at the location of the exchange, Roebuck showed the undercover agent four containers located inside his 2019 Jeep Wrangler, which were filled with 50 individually wrapped bricks of cocaine. Roebuck was immediately arrested and taken into custody by federal and local agents.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Virgin Islands Police Department are jointly investigating the case, with Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Ortiz prosecuting. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, which aims to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States.
United States Attorney Delia L. Smith reminded the public that an indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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