KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A former police detective in Kansas, Roger Golubski, who is white, is facing federal trial for accusations of sexually assaulting Black women and girls while instilling fear in those who attempted to oppose him. This trial is part of a complicated web of cases that highlight decades of alleged misconduct.
Prosecutors assert that women residing in impoverished areas of Kansas City, Kansas, feared encounters with Golubski, worried he would demand sexual favors or threaten their loved ones with jail time. He faces six felony charges concerning violations of the civil rights of women, with jury selection set to commence on Monday at a federal court in Topeka.
This case has ignited outrage within the community and exacerbated long-standing distrust towards law enforcement, which is often perceived as more aggressive in predominantly Black neighborhoods. Golubski, now 71, stands accused of assaulting a young woman starting in her teenage years and another after her children were taken into custody. If convicted, he could spend the remainder of his life behind bars.
The trial is the latest development amid a series of lawsuits and criminal accusations that prompted the county prosecutor’s office to initiate a $1.7 million project to reassess cases linked to Golubski’s 35 years on the police force. One double homicide case overseen by him has already led to a wrongful conviction being overturned, and a legal entity founded by rapper Jay-Z is pursuing police documents related to the allegations.
Golubski has entered a plea of not guilty, with his attorney claiming that the numerous lawsuits pertaining to the accusations are often motivated by fabrication on the part of the accusers. However, according to prosecutors, alongside the accounts of the two women central to the criminal charges, another seven individuals will testify about instances of abuse or harassment by Golubski.
“One moment, I’m glancing over my shoulder,” voiced Jermeka Hobbs, who has initiated her own lawsuit against Golubski and is not expected to be a witness in the ongoing trial. In her litigation, she states that Golubski groomed her to become one of “his girls,” coercing her into unwanted advances due to fears of drug-related legal repercussions. “I constantly feel like someone is pursuing me. I find no tranquility.”
Once regarded by peers for his exceptional case closure rates, Golubski ascended to the rank of captain in Kansas City, Kansas, and retired in 2010 before joining a nearby police department for six additional years. His former partner even served as chief of police. Currently, Golubski’s situation is starkly different as he finds himself under house arrest and undergoing kidney dialysis three times a week—a constraint likely limiting the trial’s schedule to Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Golubski’s attorney, Chris Joseph, noted that some allegations date back two or three decades, emphasizing that the jury’s decisions would be heavily influenced by the credibility of the accusers. On the other hand, Jim McCloskey, the founder of a New Jersey-based nonprofit dedicated to liberating wrongfully convicted individuals, described Golubski in court as “the most corrupt cop I’ve ever encountered.”
Reports of Golubski’s alleged behavior had circulated quietly among community members near the Kansas City stockyards, particularly due to the high levels of poverty in these areas, where many homes are in disrepair. The neighborhood where Golubski operated is part of the second poorest zip code in the state. Crime, drug trafficking, and prostitution were commonplace, as shared by Max Seifert, a former officer who graduated with Golubski from the police academy in 1975.
According to Seifert, misconduct among officers was often overlooked, recounting that informants and even Golubski’s ex-wife raised concerns about his solicitation of prostitutes. He also remarked that Golubski was found having sexual relations with a woman inside his office. “It was somewhat of a ‘boys will be boys’ atmosphere,” reflected Seifert, who left the department after refusing to cover for federal agents beating a motorist in 2003.
According to McCloskey, Golubski wielded a dangerous power over women, leaving them vulnerable to his manipulations. The investigation into Golubski was prompted in part by Lamonte McIntyre, who started communicating with McCloskey’s organization nearly 20 years ago. In 1994, at just 17, McIntyre was arrested for a double homicide shortly after the crime occurred despite having no physical evidence linking him to it and an alibi to support his innocence. Golubski and a local drug dealer have since faced charges in a separate federal case related to a violent sex trafficking operation.
An eyewitness initially identified McIntyre as the perpetrator only after alleging Golubski and a now-disbarred attorney threatened to take her children away from her if she didn’t comply. The actions of McIntyre’s mother in a 2014 affidavit also implied a chilling possibility—that Golubski may have retaliated against her son due to her refusal to provide him with sexual favors. “Like many in the community, she felt the police held uncontested power,” noted Cheryl Pilate, an attorney who advocated for McIntyre’s release in 2017.
In 2022, local government officials agreed to offer McIntyre and his mother $12.5 million to settle a lawsuit, navigating a deposition where Golubski invoked his Fifth Amendment rights 555 times. Additionally, the state compensated McIntyre with $1.5 million.
“That was the moment that inspired courage in others,” commented Lindsay Runnels, a board member of the Midwest Innocence Project.
Prosecutors allege that during interactions with one of the women central to the criminal case, Golubski drove her to a cemetery, ordering her to select a place to dig her own grave. This woman, who was assaulted on multiple occasions starting in middle school, reportedly suffered a miscarriage as a result. In a particularly disturbing incident, he allegedly forced her to crawl on the ground with a dog leash around her neck while chanting threatening phrases.
Ophelia Williams, another key witness, claims Golubski approached her while police were executing a search warrant in her home, making unsettling comments about her appearance. At that time, she was terrified because her twin sons had just been apprehended for a double homicide. Ultimately, the boys confessed to the crime to secure their younger brother’s release from custody, which remains a contentious issue in their family. Golubski’s sexual assaults against Williams alternated between threats and false promises to assist her sons, according to court documents. Williams has publicly shared her story, notwithstanding the common practice of not naming victims of sexual offenses. She recounted Golubski dismissing her mention of filing a complaint with the words, “Report me to who, the police? I am the police.”