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On January 11th 2005, 11 days into his second term of office as D.A., Richard James (Rick) Roach was arrested in the courtroom at docket call by agents of the FBI and DEA on charges of possession of more than one ounce each of methamphetamine and cocaine, along with various other federal and state charges. On February 7th 2005 Roach resigned from office. On March 12th 2005, Roach's assistant D.A. Lynn Switzer was named by Governor Rick Perry to replace Roach. On June 1st 2005 Roach pled guilty to being a drug addict in possession of firearms and was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison. In the meantime on May 17th 2005 Roach was indicted on first degree felony state charges of possession of methamphetamine and separately for possession of cocaine, both charges with intent to distribute, within 1000 feet of a school zone. If convicted Roach will spend the rest of his life in prison. On June 21st Roach was indicted for the additional charge of aggravated perjury for lying about his financial status in a sworn affidavit requesting appointment of counsel. This charge carries an additional 10 years if Roach is convicted. During the investigation and at the sentencing hearing, it was revealed that Roach: 1. Tried to bribe DPS officers by offering them cash and Rolex watches if they would make more drug and/or money seizures off Interstate 40; 2. Asked DPS officers to wear their state uniforms and work for Roach in their off time; 3. Routinely offered to dismiss drug cases against defendants if they would not contest the seizures and let Roach keep their drugs and money or: 4. Offer to return a portion of cash seizures if the defendant would not contest the seizure and let Roach keep the rest; 5. Deposited over 3 million dollars into the County's Drug Forfeiture Fund, would not allow other office members to access the accounts or information pertaining to the accounts and: 6. In 2003 the Amarillo offices of DEA and FBI began receiving information which indicated Roach was embezzling funds from drug forfeiture seizures made by area law enforcement agencies; 7. Possessed over 35 illegal weapons in his home and office, including two loaded pistols in his briefcase at the time of his arrest; 8. Possessed child pornography (both male and female) on his home and office computers; 9. Kept a cache of methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana and syringes in the communal employee toilet at his D.A. Office in the courthouse; 10. Injected his sexual organ with methamphetamine and levitra, tried to get his office personnel to have sex with him and made sexual references to their children - a boy aged 15 and a girl aged 13; 11. Was witnessed by his secretary injecting methamphetamine on at least two occasions, once at his office and again at a private apartment rented by the D.A.'s office and used by Roach after he left his wife. The latter was recorded on hidden camera installed by the FBI where Roach was seen injecting a substance into his arm and telling his secretary it was methamphetamine he was injecting. At the office Roach's secretary walked in on him as he was removing methamphetamine, a spoon and a syringe from his office drawer, preparing to use them; 12. Roach then kept the shades to the office drawn, kept the door locked during business hours and kept the office phone hooked up to an answering machine, in order to screen calls before he decided whether he would let anyone answer it live (keep in mind the office of the D.A. is a public office which is supposed to be accessible to the public during all regular business hours); 13. Roach was given to wild mood swings, had an ungovernable temper, had marked weight loss, a sallow complexion, mental confusion, was often caught sitting in court repeating every word spoken by opposing counsel - to the degree that the Judge had to scold him over it - and was often jittery, disheveled and unable to speak coherently in complete thoughts; 14. Was caught by his wife smoking crack cocaine in the barn behind his house on at least two occasions; Was caught with a sinus spray bottle which bore traces of cocaine. This is a common ploy utilized by drug addicted attorneys who want to use drugs in open court but, in a plausible manner. The effects of cocaine are short lived at 10-15 minutes per snort. That Roach used a court order to check out of the DPS drug lab 2 lbs of methamphetamine, a pound of cocaine and ecstasy, which he claimed was to be used for training a drug dog but to date has ever been returned nor located, indicating Roach used and sold the drugs. State drug dog handlers say that such huge amounts of drugs re never used in training the dogs. One should take careful note of the similarities of these allegations to those made against Harold Comer when he was D.A. Comer too was caught for personal use of drug seizure funds (embezzlement and misappropriation) and being a drug user in 1992; he was forced to resign as D.A. and took a plea bargain. Comer was ordered to pay restitution for the $10,000 the stole and to pay off his debt to the IRS for tax evasion, as well as to pay $2,000 of a judgment against 5 counties of the 31st District won by the D.A.'s investigator Mike Hartsock I in a "whistleblower" lawsuit he filed because Comer fired him in retaliation for his reporting of Comer's criminal misconduct. Right down to the nasal spray bottle, these are the illegal "perks" of being a D.A. in Gray County, Texas. If a D.A. is corrupt like Comer, Mann, Roach and Switzer and, if that D.A. wants them, as Comer and Roach obviously did. In the 31st Judicial District's criminalized politics one hand always washes the other.
[edit] Sources
Feds Arrest DA On Meth Charge - The Pampa NewsJanuary 11th, 2005
[http://www.shamrocktx.us/files/LAJ130105-2.pdf Panhandle Prosecutor Charged With Drugs And Weapons Possession - Lubbock Avalanche Journal]January 13th, 2005
Sordid Tale Unfolds in Affidavits - Pampa NewsJanuary 19, 2005
Cache of drugs, guns found in search of DA's Residence, officeJanuary 28, 2005
Roach resigns, pleads guilty in deal - Amarillo Globe NewsFebruary 8th, 2005
A D.A. toppled by meth - Dallas Morning NewsFebruary 12th, 2005
TX: A zealous prosecutor of drug criminals becomes one himself - The New York TimesFebruary 15th, 2005
Former D.A. rails against drugs, then is part of scourge he tried to eradicate - Pampa News / Associated PressMarch 16th, 2005
Firm to audit DA office Accounts at Switzer's request - Pampa NewsApril 30th, 2005
I inject, your HonorApril, 2005
Roach Gets Five Years - Pampa NewsJune 1st, 2005
Roach gets five years - Amarillo Globe NewsJune 2, 2005
What's Impropriety? - Pampa NewsJune 2, 2005
Witnesses testify at Roach hearing - Pampa NewsJune 3rd, 2005
Former D.A. faces perjury charges - Pampa NewsJune 22nd, 2005
Pretrial motions for Roach to be heard Oct 20, 21 - Pampa NewsOctober 8th, 2005
216.167.133.181 (talk) 23:06, 1 March 2008 (UTC)
Declined. This suggestion doesn't sufficiently explain the importance or significance of the subject. See the speedy deletion criteria (A7) and/or guidelines on notability. Please provide more information on why the subject is worthy of inclusion in an encyclopedia. Thank you. ArcAngel (talk) 23:08, 1 March 2008 (UTC)