$1 million bail for driver charged with fatal hit-and-run

OCONTO (NBC 26) – An Oconto County judge sets bail at $1 million cash for the man charged in the hit-and-run that led to the death of a former Green Bay police officer in late October.

• Watch Obilio Tomas Sargento Roblero make his first appearance at the Oconto County Courthouse on Monday afternoon.
• Hear a family spokesperson tell the judge that Roblero is a “flight risk.”
• Roblero will be back in court on November 20th.

(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)

Bail is set at $1 million cash for the man accused of killing a former Green Bay police officer in a hit-and-run accident and attempting to flee the state. I'm Pari Apostolakos at the Oconto County Courthouse, where the man made his first appearance after the late October crash west of Oconto Falls.

Obilio Tomas Sargento Roblero of Gillett is charged with a hit-and-run that resulted in the death of former Green Bay police officer Tom Roberts.

Investigators said Roberts was helping someone with a broken down ATV on Oct. 25 when Roblero hit him with an SUV. According to prosecutors, Roblero then ran away with a plan to flee the country. Days later, he was arrested in Arkansas and extradited to Oconto County.

Judge Jay Conley scheduled another initial appearance for Roblero on Monday after he failed to answer whether he understood the charges.

A victim witness coordinator read a statement in court from Roberts' family, which called for bail of $1.5 million in cash.

“The defendant has already demonstrated that he is a flight risk and has no intention of appearing in court,” Oconto County Victim Witness Coordinator Rachael Race said on behalf of the Roberts family. “Tom spent his whole life helping others, and that's what he was doing when he was killed… The defendant didn't even stop to see if Tom was OK… To prevent him from doing something like that to someone else and to protect him.” A community bond of $1.5 million is required.

Judge Conley ultimately set bail at $1 million cash, which was the state's request.

“The defendant poses a significant flight risk and it is certainly reasonable to require a substantial, substantial cash bond to ensure that he shows up in this case [court] and answers this serious allegation involving a death,” Judge Conley said.

If Roblero made bail, he would have to be sober, wear a GPS bracelet and not discuss the case with any witnesses, including his wife.

Tom Roberts' family chose not to speak to NBC 26 following Monday's proceedings. Roblero will appear in court again in person with his attorney on November 20th.