Sheriff Volunteer Arrested For Selling Drugs Out Patrol Vehicle

A sheriff's volunteer was arrested in Lake Wales Florida after he was caught selling prescription pills out of a patrol car while in uniform.

The 69-year-old man identified as David Roberts was charged Thursday with weapons and drug trafficking charges. An investigation found that Roberts had been selling Prescribed Oxycodone out of a patrol car.

Roberts was getting 90 Oxydone pills a month for the past two years and selling them for $10 a piece.

An undercover deputy offered Roberts $12 a pill and agreed to meet him at the patrol car parked at a Lake Wales gas station. While Roberts was in uniform, he took the undercover deputy's money and handed over a baggie with pills.

The deputy then followed Roberts back to the sheriff's office where he was arrested.

Sheriff Grady Judd says he is "hotter than a bare butt on a tin roof in August" after learning a sheriff’s volunteer officer was caught selling prescription pills out of a patrol car while in uniform.

"That makes me so crazy I want to pluck my eyeballs out one at a time," Judd said.

Polk County Sheriff's Office

Deputies were allowed by Roberts to search his residence. Found within his home was marijuana, a rifle, and a pistol. Roberts said the marijuana belonged to his nephew and he was just holding it for him. The weapons would not have been a problem, however, Roberts was a convicted felon who was not allowed to possess weapons.

It was discovered that Roberts was arrested for a burglary when he was 19 years old.

"You’re talking about an epic system failure. He’s a convicted felon from 52 years ago."Judd said.

Roberts had been a volunteer for 12 years. Judd mentioned that volunteers don’t go through the same human resources detail and polygraph tests that full-time employees do.

Judd said, "We’re embarrassed… Somebody messed up 12 years ago on a background. 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. Mr. David Roberts should recognize that selling 90 Oxycodones is a 15-year minimum mandatory and we’re going to help him get every day of that in prison. He admitted, ‘Welp, I embarrassed the agency’. That’s the understatement of the day."

If Roberts is convicted he will serve his time in prison because of the felony weapons charges.

Judd said, "He’s given me pain too, but I’m not going to get any oxy’s for it."