According to NBC News on Thursday, federal civil rights crimes involving sexual assault were brought against a former police detective in Kansas City who has been the subject of corruption allegations and claims that he preyed on Black women.
The Justice Department reported that the retired detective Roger Golubski, 69, appeared in court later on Thursday on six counts relating to the rape of a woman from 1998 to 2001 and another woman from 1999 to 2002 while he was working for the Kansas City Police Department. With a new hearing scheduled for Monday, Golubski maintained his innocence and was kept in detention.
The FBI was looking into claims that Golubski, a white man, abused Black women in the city and traded narcotics for information while he was being investigated for a crime. After 35 years with the police department, he retired in 2010.
Black community activists in Kansas City championed the investigation, which also received attention from Team ROC, the social justice division of hip-hop mogul Jay-entertainment Z’s company. Team ROC wrote an open letter to the Justice Department in January, pleading with the department to look into the larger police department.
The director of Team ROC, Dania Diaz, said, “We continue to stand in solidarity alongside the people of Kansas City, Kansas, who have been patiently waiting for justice and accountability.”
“The arrest of Roger Golubski is a significant step toward creating a safer community and we applaud the Department of Justice for their commitment, diligence and thorough work on this investigation.”
According to the federal indictment released on Thursday, Golubski repeatedly sexually assaulted S.K. and O.W. between 1998 and 2002. The women’s race is not identified in the indictment.
He is charged with raping both ladies and repeatedly compelling them to engage in oral sex with him in his car and at their residences. According to the indictment, Golubski’s actions included kidnapping and severe sexual abuse.
Golubski can receive a life sentence if found guilty on any of the charges. Following the hearing on Thursday, a request for comment was made to Golubski’s lawyer, Morgan Roach.
For many years, civil rights organizations demanded that Golubski’s actions be looked into. Lamont McIntyre, who served 23 years in jail for a double homicide he didn’t commit, later sued Golubski and other Kansas City police officers, which brought the accusations to further prominence.
