Jon Roberts

Infobox Criminal
subject_name = Jon Roberts

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image_size = 300px
image_caption = Jon Roberts as seen in the 2006 documentary, Cocaine Cowboys.
date_of_birth = 1948
place_of_birth = New York, United States
date_of_death =
place_of_death =
alias = Jonny
charge = Drug trafficking and smuggling
penalty = Released from prison in October 2000
status =
occupation = Former Drug Trafficker
spouse =
parents =
children =

Jon Roberts (born 1948) was a cocaine dealer in the 1970s and 80s in Miami, Florida. He was in the 2006 documentary "Cocaine Cowboys". He was one the richest and most prominent drug traffickers in the Miami area. He was part of a US$20 billion annual business which gained much of its revenue from Colombia’s Medellín cartel. [ [http://www.allmegastar.com/photo/2006_cocaine_cowboys_004.html AllMegaStar.com: John Roberts in COCAINE COWBOYS, a Magnolia Pictures Release. © Magnolia Pictures ] ] He worked with Mickey Munday, who was a pilot in the cocaine business.

Early life

Roberts was born in New York, and became involved with the mafia early in life. He was arrested and the police gave him the choice of doing time in jail or joining the army during the Vietnam War for one year. Roberts joined the army and served with 101. Airborne and stayed in Vietnam for four years, three more than required, and came back with a steel plate in his head. He has stated that after his associate was killed, he went to Miami to get away from the heat and got into the cocaine business, and when arriving in Miami only had a little over US$600 to his name. [http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2005-10-13/news/confessions-of-a-trafficker/]

Early career

After his arrival he met up with Albert San Pedro. He was a notorious distributor of cocaine, and Jon bought his material from him and started dealing on the street. With word of mouth Roberts quickly became one of the biggest dealers in the cocaine business. He reportedly made $20,000 to $30,000 a week during his early days of selling. After meeting a stewardess for National Airlines, he got the idea to send the cocaine with her to San Francisco. At this point, Roberts was making somewhere in the range of $200,000 to $300,000 per week.

Jon meets Mickey Munday

Demand for cocaine rapidly increased in the Miami area, and Roberts was unable to meet this demand. He met Mickey Munday, a pilot living in Miami. Mickey had connections with the Medellín Cartel. They started working together, Mickey would fly the planes to Colombia, and Roberts would get the cocaine to Wholesalers. Roberts met Rafael Cardona Salazar who supplied him with a more cocaine then he could get before. At this point they where distributing 75 to 100 kg of cocaine. Roberts had millions of dollars in cash and in bank accounts. With his fortune he invested in real estate, bought acres of land and also made political contributions.

Downfall

Max Mermelstein, a close partner of Roberts, was captured in 1985 by the Miami, Florida Police Department. He was one of the most important informants ever used to bring down key figures in the Medellin cartel. Roberts was making between $750,000 to $1 million a week. Just more than a year after Mermelstein was arrested, the FBI staged a raid on the gang's various properties all over Florida. Roberts was caught at a building used for radio communication with Colombia and the pilots. [ [http://www.haro-online.com/movies/cocaine_cowboys.html Cocaine Cowboys ] ]

References

Max,Passed away due to complications on Bone Cancer on Sept 12,2008 in Kentucky.

ee also

*Cocaine Cowboys
*Medellín Cartel
*Drug Lord