Ive been looking into ancillary matters related to this story for nearly a year now, and I can say without question there is far more to this than what appeared on DateLine NBC.
Why would the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and Sac County Prosecutor go to such lengths to prosecute an innocent woman? In future articles we will detail how they are protecting a person who can tamper with a jury verdict in ANY trial, but that is for another time.
In this lucid discussion of the significant revelations of systemic wrongdoing in Sac County and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, well uncover how the culture of Iowa is different from that of other states, and that denying the truth is woven into its ethos. Moreover, it perverts justice for purposes that are unique to a cast of characters, and have nothing to do with protecting the public. Perhaps this is why Iowa has had an 80% rise in prosecutorial misconduct appeals in the last decade. Watching the travesty of justice of the Tracey Richter trial crack wide open over the last few weeks has left me puzzled.
We can say things like, Ultimate responsibility goes to the man at the top, meaning Ben Smith, Sac County Attorney and Prosecutor. And that sounds right, but it still doesnt explain how any of it happened. The key people are criminals, liars, or willfully blind. We could say that, but then we would have to explain how so many of them ended up in Iowa. Puzzles like these have led many people to the conclusion that theres a culture inside the prosecutors office that is responsible in some way, and I agree with that. This is not just about one individual, but about the culture of an organization. Prosecutors and investigators do not routinely break the law, tamper with juries, intimidate and mislead witnesses, and generally conduct themselves like thugs unless it is a matter of recognized and understood policy.
Consider the powers of the prosecutor The prosecutor decides:
Whether or not to bring criminal charges
Who to charge
What the charges will be
Whether the charges will be misdemeanor or felony
Whether the person charged will stand trial or plead out
What sentence the judge should give
A prosecutors power to invoke or deny punishment at his discretion is the power to control and destroy peoples lives. Professor Bennett Gershman
A Short and to-the-Point Overview
Hiding the Good Stuff \ Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (IDCI)
Trick #1 - They Avoided Gathering Favorable Evidence IDCI and Sac County law enforcement never interviewed Michael Roberts after his 99% deceptive polygraph about his knowledge or involvement in the home invasion.
Trick #2 - They Avoided Gathering Favorable Evidence IDCI and Sac County law enforcement refused to follow-up February 2011 information that Michael Roberts had manipulated another mentally unstable man he was mentoring to commit murder to protect Roberts business interests.
Trick #3 - They Avoided Gathering Favorable Evidence Prosecutor Ben Smith had documented proof of a Hacking Code that tampered with the jury via the Internet. This included information of an alleged juror admitting he was tampered with. Rather than investigate, Ben Smith sent the confidential information to The Hacker who tampered with the jury.
Trick #4 They Avoided Gathering Favorable Evidence IDCI and Sac County law enforcement had a city employee and her husband Clean the bedroom (murder scene) and then released the murder scene within the initial 24-hours to the primary suspect, Michael Roberts.
Trick #5 They Avoided Gathering Favorable Evidence IDCI and Sac County law enforcement realized the error they made in releasing a crime scene within 24-hours to the primary suspect who then failed his polygraph about the murder. In order to keep him from impugning the prosecutions case, they allowed him to stay in a Witness Protection program where he could not be served a subpoena.
Trick #6 - Someone Had a Favorable Position to the Defense IDCI Special Agent Vileta is alleged to have misled and tampered with primary witness Mona Wehde, who believed Michael Roberts shot her son. Wehde testified Vileta assured Roberts had been interviewed and cleared, yet no interview from Vileta was produced for trial. Vileta claims he never interviewed Michael Roberts.
Trick #7 - When Someone Did Say Something Favorable for the Defense, They Didn't Write It Down.
Trick #8 Prime Investigator Lost Critical Documents All Special Agent Viletas correspondence with Michael Roberts7 sheets of notes authored by Dustin, 2 post-it notes authored by Dustin, and a 3rd Notebook, were lost by Trent Vileta.
Trick #9 - Permitted Destruction of Evidence and Intimidation of Potential Defense Missed Facts
Michael Roberts had an arrest and conviction for domestic battery filed under Sac County Domestic and Child Abuse Report # 2000-00407, Trial Notice CASE NO 02811 SMCR008251 (see document here page 2). His plea deal took nearly a year to arrange (see document page 3). He was arrested for Domestic Assault in 2000. He was set for trial over the assault in 2001. DateLine had this material fact in error.
Michael Roberts was Founded (Confirmed and Placed) on the Central Abuse Registry by the Iowa Department of Human Services on 3/21/2007 (see report here) for the abuse of Noah Roberts and Mason Roberts. Noah and Mason are the half-brother and sister to Burt Pitman who was featured in the DateLine NBC segment, Twisted.
Michael Roberts pled No Contest to the charge, which under Iowa law is a conviction. The conviction forbids him from gun ownership under the Domestic Violence Gun Ban and equally violates the Iowa Domestic Battery Firearm restriction laws.
Michael Roberts first known violation of violating the domestic violence gun ban was on July 22, 2002 from Carolina Sporting Arms, 110 East Kingston Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28203 (704) 375-7987
Ben Smith Sac Reviews
Tracey Richter and her fianc Russell Schertz
Ive been looking into ancillary matters related to this story for nearly a year now, and I can say without question there is far more to this than what appeared on DateLine NBC.
Why would the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and Sac County Prosecutor go to such lengths to prosecute an innocent woman? In future articles we will detail how they are protecting a person who can tamper with a jury verdict in ANY trial, but that is for another time.
In this lucid discussion of the significant revelations of systemic wrongdoing in Sac County and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, well uncover how the culture of Iowa is different from that of other states, and that denying the truth is woven into its ethos. Moreover, it perverts justice for purposes that are unique to a cast of characters, and have nothing to do with protecting the public. Perhaps this is why Iowa has had an 80% rise in prosecutorial misconduct appeals in the last decade. Watching the travesty of justice of the Tracey Richter trial crack wide open over the last few weeks has left me puzzled.
We can say things like, Ultimate responsibility goes to the man at the top, meaning Ben Smith, Sac County Attorney and Prosecutor. And that sounds right, but it still doesnt explain how any of it happened. The key people are criminals, liars, or willfully blind. We could say that, but then we would have to explain how so many of them ended up in Iowa. Puzzles like these have led many people to the conclusion that theres a culture inside the prosecutors office that is responsible in some way, and I agree with that. This is not just about one individual, but about the culture of an organization. Prosecutors and investigators do not routinely break the law, tamper with juries, intimidate and mislead witnesses, and generally conduct themselves like thugs unless it is a matter of recognized and understood policy.
Consider the powers of the prosecutor The prosecutor decides:
Whether or not to bring criminal charges
Who to charge
What the charges will be
Whether the charges will be misdemeanor or felony
Whether the person charged will stand trial or plead out
What sentence the judge should give
A prosecutors power to invoke or deny punishment at his discretion is the power to control and destroy peoples lives. Professor Bennett Gershman
A Short and to-the-Point Overview
Hiding the Good Stuff \ Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (IDCI)
Trick #1 - They Avoided Gathering Favorable Evidence IDCI and Sac County law enforcement never interviewed Michael Roberts after his 99% deceptive polygraph about his knowledge or involvement in the home invasion.
Trick #2 - They Avoided Gathering Favorable Evidence IDCI and Sac County law enforcement refused to follow-up February 2011 information that Michael Roberts had manipulated another mentally unstable man he was mentoring to commit murder to protect Roberts business interests.
Trick #3 - They Avoided Gathering Favorable Evidence Prosecutor Ben Smith had documented proof of a Hacking Code that tampered with the jury via the Internet. This included information of an alleged juror admitting he was tampered with. Rather than investigate, Ben Smith sent the confidential information to The Hacker who tampered with the jury.
Trick #4 They Avoided Gathering Favorable Evidence IDCI and Sac County law enforcement had a city employee and her husband Clean the bedroom (murder scene) and then released the murder scene within the initial 24-hours to the primary suspect, Michael Roberts.
Trick #5 They Avoided Gathering Favorable Evidence IDCI and Sac County law enforcement realized the error they made in releasing a crime scene within 24-hours to the primary suspect who then failed his polygraph about the murder. In order to keep him from impugning the prosecutions case, they allowed him to stay in a Witness Protection program where he could not be served a subpoena.
Trick #6 - Someone Had a Favorable Position to the Defense IDCI Special Agent Vileta is alleged to have misled and tampered with primary witness Mona Wehde, who believed Michael Roberts shot her son. Wehde testified Vileta assured Roberts had been interviewed and cleared, yet no interview from Vileta was produced for trial. Vileta claims he never interviewed Michael Roberts.
Trick #7 - When Someone Did Say Something Favorable for the Defense, They Didn't Write It Down.
Trick #8 Prime Investigator Lost Critical Documents All Special Agent Viletas correspondence with Michael Roberts7 sheets of notes authored by Dustin, 2 post-it notes authored by Dustin, and a 3rd Notebook, were lost by Trent Vileta.
Trick #9 - Permitted Destruction of Evidence and Intimidation of Potential Defense Missed Facts
Michael Roberts had an arrest and conviction for domestic battery filed under Sac County Domestic and Child Abuse Report # 2000-00407, Trial Notice CASE NO 02811 SMCR008251 (see document here page 2). His plea deal took nearly a year to arrange (see document page 3). He was arrested for Domestic Assault in 2000. He was set for trial over the assault in 2001. DateLine had this material fact in error.
Michael Roberts was Founded (Confirmed and Placed) on the Central Abuse Registry by the Iowa Department of Human Services on 3/21/2007 (see report here) for the abuse of Noah Roberts and Mason Roberts. Noah and Mason are the half-brother and sister to Burt Pitman who was featured in the DateLine NBC segment, Twisted.
Michael Roberts pled No Contest to the charge, which under Iowa law is a conviction. The conviction forbids him from gun ownership under the Domestic Violence Gun Ban and equally violates the Iowa Domestic Battery Firearm restriction laws.
Michael Roberts first known violation of violating the domestic violence gun ban was on July 22, 2002 from Carolina Sporting Arms, 110 East Kingston Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28203 (704) 375-7987