TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A former Kansas Metropolis, Kansas, police detective who has lengthy been accused of sexually preying on Black girls throughout felony investigations was indicted Thursday on prices that he sexually abused two girls, the FBI stated.
Roger Golubski, 69, was arrested at his dwelling in Edwardsville after a federal grand jury indicted him on six counts of civil rights violations.
Throughout a 15-minute listening to, U.S. Justice of the Peace Decide Rebecca Schwarz entered a not responsible plea to all six prices for Golubski, who requested to stay silent. She set a listening to for 3 p.m. Monday on whether or not he ought to stay behind bars earlier than his trial. A pretrial listening to was scheduled for Oct. 12.
“I’m so completely happy and surprised on the arrest of that man,” one in every of his alleged victims, Ophelia Williams, stated in an announcement launched by MORE2, a civil rights group. “I pray that after so a few years we lastly get justice, individuals can lastly calm down, and I can lastly sleep at evening.”
The Related Press typically doesn’t identify alleged victims of sexual assault, however Williams has allowed her identify for use in earlier tales.
Golubski’s court-appointed legal professional, Tom Lemon of Topeka, indicated that he’ll ask that Golubski be launched earlier than trial as a result of he undergoes every day therapies for severe well being points, together with dialysis three or 4 days every week for failing kidneys.
Golubski can be receiving remedy after quintuple coronary heart bypass surgical procedure in April and takes insulin pictures for diabetes, stated Lemon, who declined to remark after the listening to.
“He has been informed that if he misses six dialysis therapies, he’s going to die,” Lemon stated in court docket. “If he doesn’t obtain that every day remedy, he’s going to have bother serving to me in his protection.”
Golubski spoke solely when Schwarz requested him whether or not he needed her to nominate an legal professional for him.
Golubski retired in 2010 after working for the Kansas Metropolis Police Division for 35 years. The FBI has been investigating allegations that Golubski, who’s white, sexually assaulted Black girls within the metropolis and exchanged medicine for data throughout felony investigations.
The federal indictment introduced Thursday accuses Golubski of sexually assaulting two girls, recognized as S.Ok., and O.W., on a number of events between 1998 and 2002. The indictment doesn’t state the race of the ladies.
He’s accused of raping each girls and forcing them to carry out oral intercourse on him a number of instances in his car and on the girls’s properties. Golubski’s conduct included aggravated sexual abuse and kidnapping, in accordance with the indictment.
If convicted of any of the counts, Golubski might be sentenced to life in jail.
Civil rights teams for years sought an investigation into Golubski’s conduct. The allegations towards him drew extra consideration after Lamont McIntyre, who spent 23 years in jail for a double homicide he didn’t commit, sued Golubski and different Kansas Metropolis, Kansas, officers after he was launched.
McIntyre and his mom, Rose McIntyre, alleged within the lawsuit that Golubski framed Lamont for a double murder in 1994 as a result of she refused the detective’s sexual calls for. The native authorities agreed in June to settle the lawsuit for $12.5 million.
When deposed by McIntyre’s legal professionals within the case, Golubski invoked his Fifth Modification proper towards self-incrimination a whole bunch of instances. He has persistently declined media requests to touch upon the allegations.
Cheryl Pilate and Lindsay Runnels, attorneys for the McIntyres, counseled federal legislation enforcement companies on the arrest.
“We’re hopeful the justice system delivers the accountability that the Kansas Metropolis, Kansas neighborhood deserves,” they stated in an announcement.
The Midwest Innocence Challenge, a civil rights group that works to free wrongfully convicted inmates, stated in an announcement that Golubski’s arrest was “step one” to find justice for these harmed by legislation enforcement officers, significantly Black girls.
“A full investigation into the abuses in Wyandotte County and systemic reforms are wanted to make sure that no different cops and public officers can proceed to abuse their energy,” the group stated in a information launch.
Kansas Metropolis police Chief Karl Oakman and Wyandotte County District Legal professional Mark Dupree every issued an announcement pledging to proceed cooperating with the investigation and stated the arrest proved that nobody was above the legislation.
Executives with MORE2, which additionally pushed for an investigation into Golubski, applauded his arrest.
“It took over three a long time, thirty years of this man residing like he’s a law-abiding citizen and he is among the largest criminals we now have in Wyandotte County,” MORE 2 board member Violet Martin stated in an announcement. She believes her brother and cousin are wrongfully incarcerated due to Golubski.
In 2020, a coalition of Kansas lawmakers, spiritual leaders and racial justice advocates requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to research Golubski and different members of the division who have been accused of misconduct and abuse.
And in 2021, a corporation run by rapper Jay-Z filed a petition in search of information from the police division associated to what it known as a historical past of officer misconduct inside the division.