Assistant District Attorney sentenced to prison on drug charges

By Angela Hokanson, Bay City News Service

June 15, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - U.S. Attorney Kevin Ryan announced that San Francisco Assistant District Attorney Robert William Roland, 35, was sentenced yesterday to six months in prison, three years of supervised release, and 150 hours of community service for receiving drugs on three separate occasions from defendants he was prosecuting.

Roland pleaded guilty on Feb. 8 to four felony counts, including possession of MDMA, or Ecstasy, with intent to distribute, using a telephone to facilitate the commission of a felony drug offense, and two counts of possessing Ecstasy, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

"Prosecutors, because of the unique role they play in the criminal justice system, must conduct themselves with the utmost integrity. This defendant abused the public trust by violating some of the very laws he swore to uphold, with the very defendants that he was obligated to prosecute," Ryan said.

Roland admitted that on June 28, 2002, he prosecuted a felony drug case against Eric Earl Shaw, who was his childhood friend, in superior court.

Roland agreed to a misdemeanor disposition in that case, and the next day Roland received Ecstasy from Shaw, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

Roland also admitted that on June 26, 2003, he prosecuted felony drug cases against Ryan Ernst Nyberg in superior court.

Roland arranged for Nyberg's case to be resolved with Nyberg's placement in a diversion program.

The next day, Roland met with Shaw and Nyberg and received Ecstasy from them.

Roland also admitted to receiving Ecstasy from Nyberg at his house Oct. 17, 2003. Roland intended to distribute the Ecstasy to his friends, the U.S. attorney's office reported.

Roland is expected to surrender into custody on or before Aug. 1.

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