By The American Tribune | Created at 2026-08-13 10:27:00 | Updated at 2026-08-13 11:58:26
1 hour ago
A Democrat city manager and fire chief in Michigan has been charged with cocaine delivery and tax evasion following a sweeping raid on Muskegon Heights City Hall. Shawn Roberson, 51, now faces three state felony counts, while federal prosecutors have separately indicted three men connected to a drug and money-laundering investigation.
The charges were announced nearly three weeks after FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, and Michigan State Police investigators searched City Hall and several other locations on July 23rd. Authorities reportedly examined Roberson’s finances and real-estate transactions involving the Muskegon County Land Bank. The investigation has drawn attention to relationships among the public official, two convicted felons, and an alleged drug pipeline running from Houston to western Michigan.
Roberson was charged with one count of delivering or manufacturing less than 50 grams of cocaine, which carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in state prison. He also faces two tax-evasion counts, each punishable by up to five years. Roberson’s attorney, Terry Nolan, did not immediately respond to a request for comment reported by the newspaper.
Roberson, who was running as a Democrat in the August 4th primary for one of two seats on the Muskegon Township Board, was suspended with pay following the raid, according to The Detroit News. He was not among the three people named in the newly announced federal indictment. Those charges were brought against Lakento Brian Smith, Javon Brewer, and Fletcher Lee Salazar.
Brewer, 58, is Roberson’s real-estate partner in Muskegon Heights, while Salazar, 40, is also from the city. Smith, 54, is a Muskegon native now living in Houston whose 30-year federal prison sentence was commuted by former President Joe Biden last year. Federal authorities have accused Smith of operating as a supplier who moved as much as 28 kilograms of cocaine per week to Michigan.
Smith, Brewer, and Salazar were charged with participating in a conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. Smith and Brewer were also charged in a separate money-laundering conspiracy. “The charges allege that these individuals conspired to distribute dangerous controlled substances, including more than 400 grams of fentanyl — a poison that continues to drive overdoses across our district — and then sought to hide the proceeds,” U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey said.
If convicted, Smith faces between 15 years to life in federal prison, while Brewer and Salazar each face potential sentences ranging from 10 years to life. Smith’s lawyer, James Fisher, declined to comment on the charges.
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Federal prosecutors also moved against property and money allegedly tied to the operation. On the morning of the City Hall raid, prosecutors placed a lien on Brewer’s ranch-style home, indicating that it could be forfeited because of its alleged connection to drug dealing. The government is also seeking the forfeiture of Brewer’s black 2024 Toyota Tundra and $21,286 seized during the search of his home.
Investigators have alleged that Smith helped launder at least $130,000 in drug proceeds from Houston. “By targeting both the drugs and the money behind them, we are sending a clear message: drug traffickers will be identified, their operations will be dismantled, and they will be held accountable in a court of law for their actions,” DEA Detroit Special Agent in Charge Joseph Dixon said.
