A former Johnson County, Kansas, sheriff's deputy who spent a decade on the force is now facing a felony rape charge stemming from an alleged sexual assault. Justin Patrick Ramirez, 44, was arrested last week and fired after his arrest.
Ramirez is accused of rape. As reported by the Johnson County Post, court filings show the alleged assault was not reported to the Overland Park Police Department until roughly three weeks after it occurred.
Ramirez was arrested last week and fired after his arrest. He had worked for the Johnson County Sheriff's Office for 10 years.
Bond Cut From $500,000 to $50,000
A Johnson County judge modified Ramirez's bond from $500,000 down to $50,000, a reduction that allowed his release on bond.
Ramirez was arrested and charged with felony rape in Johnson County.
What Kansas Law Says About the Charge
Under Kansas statute K.S.A. 21-5503, non-consensual sexual intercourse with a person who is unconscious or physically powerless is classified as a Severity Level 1 person felony, the second-highest felony tier in the state, according to the Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Kansas sentencing guidelines set a presumptive prison term of roughly 147 to 165 months, or about 12 to 14 years, for a defendant with no prior criminal history convicted of a Level 1 person felony, with no option for probation, per Paul Cramm Law. The same Kansas statute also mandates that anyone convicted of felony rape be placed on lifetime sex offender registration and lifetime post-release supervision once a prison sentence is completed.
A Department Under New Leadership
Sheriff Byron K. Roberson, who took office in January 2025 following the 2024 elections, now leads a Johnson County Sheriff's Office that commands nearly 500 sworn deputies, operates two county detention facilities, and runs an accredited crime laboratory, according to the agency. Criminal charges originating from Overland Park and other Johnson County municipalities are formally filed and prosecuted in the District Court of Johnson County in Olathe, since all felony proceedings in the county are centralized at that courthouse, per Gigstad Law Office.
This is not the first time a former Johnson County deputy has faced sexual assault allegations. In June 2021, county prosecutors charged another former Johnson County Sheriff's deputy with rape and aggravated sodomy following an internal department investigation paired with an Olathe police probe; that deputy was terminated for policy violations during the investigation. Hoodline previously reported on a separate case involving a police officer charged with rape in Jackson County, Missouri, that also referenced the 2021 Johnson County matter.
