Eric Ryan Roberts

A Life Built From Determination

A Family Created From Love

A Sentence Out of Proportion

Eric Ryan Roberts is serving 30 years in a violent medium security level federal prison for a non-violent marijuana-related conviction—his first and only offense. Federal prosecutors charged him under the Continuing Criminal Enterprise (CCE) statute, commonly known as the "drug kingpin" law, despite Eric having no cartel, no criminal organization, and no prior record. Never having been in trouble with the law before, Eric faced a federal system where defendants who choose to go to trial routinely receive sentences many times longer than those who plead guilty. Eric, still trusting in our legal system refused to plead guilty to a crime he didn't commit and was certain justice would prevail. He was wrong.

The prosecutor pursuing the case against Eric had to bring it to 3 different venues to find a District Attorney willing to prosecute. The first 2 districts refused to prosecute Eric because the alleged offense was so minor and it didn't serve the public's interest.

Even the judge who sentenced him openly criticized the mandatory sentence from the bench, but his hands were tied, because of the charge, the judge had no discretion under the law.

Eric's release date is August 7, 2048, when he'll be 78 years old. His ten-year-old daughter, Ryan, will turn 35 that day, having spent her entire childhood without her father.

Eric survived severe childhood abuse and built a remarkable life: he earned multiple black belts, professionally wrestled in Japan, and created thriving businesses that employed dozens in the Dallas area. His real legacy is the family he created everywhere he went, giving people jobs when they were unemployed, lending money for rent, mentoring young people, and becoming the safe haven he never had as a child.

Now he's housed with violent offenders at FCI Talladega despite zero disciplinary issues or the fact that there were no victims in Eric's case. We're fighting to bring him home through a 2255 motion, appellate work, and presidential clemency. Every dollar goes directly toward his legal battle to come home, while his daughter still needs him.