Shawnderick Roberson

Introduction

Shawnderick Roberson is a Michigan public safety official who led the Muskegon Heights Fire Department and, in the summer of 2026, briefly held the city’s top administrative job as well. Roberson, the city’s fire chief, was appointed city manager of Muskegon Heights in early June 2026 by a 4-3 vote of the city council. His time in the dual role lasted roughly two months. On July 23, 2026, federal agents and state police served search warrants around Muskegon County — including at Muskegon Heights City Hall — as part of an investigation into alleged drug and financial crimes, and Roberson was placed on administrative suspension with pay the next day. On August 11, 2026, he was arraigned on one count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and two counts of state tax evasion, and the city announced the same day that it was separating from him. The charges are pending: Roberson has not been convicted of anything, and Mayor Bonnie McGlothin stressed the city’s employment decision should not be interpreted as a judgment on the criminal case.

Background Information

Roberson was serving as Muskegon Heights’ fire chief by early 2026; the department posted a photo of him that February. In June 2026 he took on a second role. The council had been set to approve a full-time contract for then-interim city manager Pearlette Merriweather on June 8; instead, in a 4-3 vote, it removed Merriweather and appointed Roberson — already fire chief — in her place. McGlothin said she never saw the move coming: “I was totally blindsided. (I) had no idea a lot of the council knew, but I didn’t.” Roberson was voted in by councilmembers Lashae Simmons, Andre Williams, William Kitchen and Derrick Lamar Collins; the mayor, Councilman Ronald Jenkins and Mayor Pro Tem Kellie Kitchen voted no.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Allegations. The claims in this section are allegations, and the criminal charges described here are accusations. Roberson has been charged but not convicted; he is presumed innocent and entitled to his day in court. Nothing described below has been adjudicated.

The events that ended Roberson’s dual role began with a law enforcement action. On July 23, 2026, agents served “multiple” search warrants around the Muskegon area as part of an investigation into alleged drug and financial crimes. Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Hilson confirmed warrants were served at Muskegon Heights City Hall and at a site less than a mile away on Riordan Street near E. Hackley Avenue, and said the searches were the product of a joint investigation involving the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the IRS and Michigan State Police.

The next day, July 24, the city placed Roberson on administrative suspension with pay, pending “the ongoing law enforcement investigation and any related administrative review.” City Attorney Te Smith said, “This action is administrative in nature and should not be construed as a determination of wrongdoing,” noting the warrant sought records “including records pertaining to Mr. Roberson, among other municipal documents and electronically stored information.” Referencing the “size and scale” of the investigation, Hilson said it would take time: “(W)e appreciate your patience as we thoroughly review any potential violations of state or federal law.”

The criminal charges came on August 11, three weeks after the searches. Roberson was arraigned on one count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and two counts of state tax evasion, and turned himself in to the Muskegon County Jail. Hilson said the state charges were filed “in conjunction with the federal drug indictments coming from the US Attorney’s Office,” though Fox 17 reported it was not clear whether Roberson would be among the federal defendants. “The issuance of these charges is only the beginning of this ongoing investigation,” Hilson said; more charges could follow the evidence review.

Public Reaction and Consequences

On the day of the arraignment, the city released a statement saying the mayor and council believe “it is in the best interests of the City of Muskegon Heights to separate from Mr. Roberson at this time.” McGlothin announced the separation, saying the filing of criminal charges had changed the circumstances of Roberson’s employment, while stressing it should not be interpreted as a judgment on the criminal case and that the city’s responsibility was to protect the stability of city government and public confidence during the transition. City Attorney Te D. Smith said the city would not comment on allegations properly before the court. The council enacted a 90-day operational health plan, and Police Chief Maurice Sain — acting city manager since July 27 — continued in the role while the search for a permanent city manager began. Sain told Fox 17 days after the raid: “Outside of the positions and the titles we hold, most of us still live in this community, so we are citizens as well.”

Current Status

Roberson has been charged in state court with one count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and two counts of state tax evasion — counts for which he could face up to five years in prison if convicted — and those charges remain pending. He has not been convicted of anything, and whether he will ultimately be among the defendants in the federal drug indictments expected from the U.S. Attorney’s Office remains unclear. He is no longer the city’s fire chief or its city manager: Muskegon Heights announced on August 11, 2026 that it was separating from him in both capacities, and Hilson has said more state charges could be filed once the evidence review is complete.

Impact on Their Career/Life

In the span of a single summer, Roberson went from holding the two most demanding jobs in Muskegon Heights city government to holding neither. A fire chief elevated to city manager in early June by a council vote that blindsided his own mayor, seven weeks later he was on paid administrative leave as agents searched city hall; nine weeks after his appointment, he had been arraigned on drug and tax charges and separated from both positions. The criminal case remains unresolved, the possibility of additional state charges and a federal indictment hangs over him, and if convicted on the current counts he faces up to five years in prison — an outcome that will be decided in court, not at city hall.