The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Digital Editor

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

Prosecutors are urging a federal judge to impose a prison sentence of at least five years on former Royal Bahamas Defence Force officer Darrin Roker when he is sentenced on Wednesday, arguing that despite his advanced cancer diagnosis, his role in a major cocaine trafficking conspiracy warrants significant punishment.

In a sentencing submission filed on January 14 ahead of sentencing, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said the former chief petty officer abused his position of public trust to help facilitate the planned importation of nearly a thousand kilograms of cocaine into the United States.

While prosecutors acknowledged Roker’s serious medical condition, they said his lawyer’s appeal for a sentence of “time served” would be inappropriate given the gravity of the offence and the need for deterrence.

“The defendant’s crimes are exceedingly serious,” the submission stated, noting that Roker used his position in the RBDF to access sensitive law-enforcement information and provide traffickers with advance warnings about maritime interdiction operations.

Roker, 57, pleaded guilty in October to a lesser conspiracy charge after being indicted alongside 12 others in a sweeping transnational drug trafficking case. Prosecutors allege the network moved multi-tonne loads of cocaine from South America through The Bahamas and onward to the United States, relying on corrupt officials for protection and logistical support.

According to court filings, Roker participated in meetings with co-conspirators in late 2024 and accepted a $20,000 bribe as an upfront payment for his assistance. He allegedly offered advice on avoiding detection by law-enforcement agencies, including the location of patrol vessels and the timing of operations.

Under the plea agreement, Roker faced a maximum sentence of 20 years, though probation officials have recommended a downward variance to 60 months’ imprisonment. Prosecutors said that recommendation strikes the appropriate balance between compassion and accountability.

“The Government does not believe that a Guidelines sentence of 240 months’ imprisonment would be appropriate,” the filing said. “Nor, however, would the time-served sentence requested by the defendant be appropriate, given the seriousness of the defendant’s offense conduct and the need to deter others from engaging in similar courses of conduct.”

Roker’s attorney, Martin Roth, has argued that his stage-four metastatic prostate cancer had returned aggressively, making further incarceration unnecessary and inhumane. Prosecutors acknowledged the illness as a “powerful mitigating factor” but said the Bureau of Prisons is equipped to manage his medical care, including placement at a federal medical centre if required.

The submission also stressed the broader implications of the case, warning that corrupt officials play a critical role in enabling large-scale drug trafficking through the region.

“The sentence imposed should send a clear message to other police and government officials considering a similar path that such conduct will not be tolerated,” prosecutors wrote.

US District Judge Gregory Woods is expected to sentence Roker on January 21.