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Thread: 6 former HPD officers charged with 15 felonies linked to deadly botched raid that killed Rhogena Nicholas and Dennis Tuttle

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    6 former HPD officers charged with 15 felonies linked to deadly botched raid that killed Rhogena Nicholas and Dennis Tuttle

    6 former HPD officers charged with 15 felonies linked to deadly botched raid

    HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A total of 15 new criminal felony charges have been filed by the Harris County District Attorney's Office in the ongoing investigation of deadly botched raid on Harding Street.

    In a briefing held on Wednesday, district attorney Kim Ogg said warrants have been issued for six former Houston narcotics officers, including former officer Gerlad Goines and Steven Bryant, who have already been charged.

    Five of the six are charged with falsifying government documents used in narcotics investigations.

    Allegations include using false information to get judges to sign search warrants, falsifying time sheets, putting false information in offense reports, and falsifying government documents to steal, prosecutors have determined.

    "Goines and others could never have preyed on our community the way they did without the participation of their supervisors; every check and balance in place to stop this type of behavior was circumvented," Ogg said. "This was graft and greed at every step in the process, and prosecutors are making their way through the evidence one incident at a time."

    The home in the 7800 block of Harding Street was the scene of a "no-knock" narcotics warrant that was executed by Houston police officers on Jan. 28, 2019.

    The raid resulted in a shootout between a team of officers and two residents inside.

    The operation resulted in Rhogena Nicholas and Dennis Tuttle, a married couple, both being killed.

    In addition to Goines and Bryant, those charged include former sergeants Clemente Reyna and Thomas Wood, former lieutenant Robert Gonzales, and former senior officer Hodgie Armstrong, according to court records.

    Goines has previously been charged with felony murder and tampering with government records and Bryant has previously been charged with tampering with government records.

    "The new charges show a pattern and practice of lying and deceit," Ogg said. "There are mountains more evidence to review, and more charges are likely as we push into the next phase of our investigation."

    Supervisors signed records stating they witnessed street-level officers pay money to confidential informants for buying drugs, when the evidence reveals the supervisors were not actually there, and therefore could not have witnessed what they claimed to have witnessed, according to prosecutors.

    "This investigation is peeling back layers of a narcotics-enforcement system gone awry," Ogg said. "It calls into question the way HPD has been enforcing narcotics laws, especially in communities of color. The lion's share of arrests made by this squad were minority men for low-level drug crimes."

    The cases filed Wednesday will be presented to a Harris County grand jury this month.

    Prosecutors are also reviewing cases to determine if defendants were wrongfully convicted after being arrested by Goines.

    Below is a list of those charged as of July 1, 2020:


    Officer Gerald Goines Three charges of tampering with a government record (search warrants.) Third-Degree Felony, two to 10 years in prison. One charge of theft by a public servant between $2,500 and $30,000, Third-Degree Felony.

    Officer Steven Bryant Two charges of tampering with a government record (confidential informant forms which contain details of money allegedly given to informants for services or buying drugs.) State Jail Felony, six months to two years in jail. One charge of theft by a public servant between $2,500 and $30,000, a Third-Degree Felony.

    Sgt. Clemente Reyna Three charges of tampering with a government record (confidential informant forms.) State Jail Felony. One charge of theft by a public servant between $2,500 and $30,000, Third-Degree Felony.

    Sgt. Thomas Wood One charge of tampering with a government record (confidential informant form.) State Jail Felony. One charge of theft by a public servant between $2,500 and $30,000, Third-Degree Felony.

    Lt. Robert Gonzales One charge of misapplication of fiduciary property, State Jail Felony, for the reckless handling of HPD money. Gonzales held a position of trust and was required to verify and authorize any expenditures of up to $2,500.

    Officer Hodgie Armstrong One charge of tampering with a government record (offense report,) State Jail Felony.

    https://abc13.com/hpd-officers-charg...fUSDjbsA7dTp9c
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    https://www.khou.com/article/news/cr...9-aa686393d9ba

    Here is a press conference on the Rhogena Nicholas and Dennis Tuttle police brutality incidents.

    HOUSTON — A day after the Houston Police Department released their audit in the botched Harding Street raid, several lawmakers gathered in front of the home where Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas were murdered to demand more answers from Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo.

    The biggest gripe from lawmakers was that the audit could have been released days after the shooting, calling the investigation into the raid "whitewashed" and the audit "a scam."

    "This report is a joke," said State Representative Gene Wu.

    Wu said the audit does not give any details on who was responsible for overseeing the systematic problems that led to Tuttle and Nicholas' death and didn't really speak on what the department will do to prevent this from happening again.

    Wu said he and other lawmakers have committed to making provisions in state law that says you can not hide public audits from the public. He said the community deserves full transparency and accountability from their police departments.

    Wu said they are also looking into other recommendations listed in the report and considering them from statewide legislation.

    “We are doing this is the name of Rhogena Nicholas and Dennis Tuttle,” Wu said.

    You can click here to read the full audit.

    Six officers have been charged with 15 felonies in connection to the botched Harding Street raid.

    MORE ON HARDIN STREET RAID

    HPD releases full audit after 6 officers charged in connection with botched Harding Street raid
    DA: Ex officer in Harding raid may have provided false evidence; 69 convictions could be overturned
    'Miscarriage of justice' | Man declared innocent in case tied to ex-cop charged in Harding Street raid
    The Harris County District Attorney’s Office charged the six retired officers – who include three supervisors and a senior police officer – after reviewing thousands of cases handled by Squad 15 of Houston Police Department’s Narcotics Division.

    Five of the six officers are charged with falsifying government documents used in narcotics investigations. Allegations include using false information to get judges to sign search warrants, falsifying time sheets, putting false information in offense reports and falsifying government documents to steal, prosecutors have determined.

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    Officer Felipe Gallegos of the Houston Police department accused of killing Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas in a raid

    https://abc13.com/grand-jury-indicte...says/10008712/

    HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The lawyer of a Houston police officer who is facing a murder charge in a botched drug raid believes a Harris County grand jury "indicted a hero."

    A day after being the second officer indicted with murder in the 2019 HPD raid that left a married couple dead, Felipe Gallegos, his wife and his parents were front and center during a news conference on Tuesday. Gallegos turned himself in and was granted a $50,000 bond after the murder indictment.

    Gallegos' lawyer, famed defense attorney Rusty Hardin, insisted his client did not know the "no knock" warrant was being executed under faulty information. Therefore, Hardin said, Gallegos acted in defense of fellow officers and himself when they came under fire that day.

    Two other people were shot during the incident that eventually left Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas, a couple living at the raided home on Harding Street, dead.

    While Hardin spoke at length for his client, Gallegos gave his say on the indictment.

    "It's been very challenging just because I haven't been awarded the opportunity to tell my side of the story. To be able to explain to them that I'm not the bad person that I'm being painted to be," Gallegos said, adding his family is facing difficulties as well.

    Gallegos' indictment is for Tuttle's death. According to Hardin, Gallegos actually took cover behind a tree as other members of HPD's Narcotics Division moved in. But after the shots, he moved in.

    As it stands, Gallegos and former officer Gerald Goines are the only ones indicted with murder. Goines is accused of lying to a judge to obtain the "no knock" search warrant to raid the house.

    Goines and others executed the drug warrant based on information that was later determined to be based on the word of an informant who never actually went to the house.

    Goines coordinated the raid for Squad 15 of HPD's Narcotics Division, according to the investigation. Another officer, Steven Bryant, was also previously charged with tampering.

    Along with Gallegos, five other officers were indicted. To date, 12 total officers, both former and current members of the Houston Police Department, have been indicted. Most have been accused of falsifying time cards and other alleged crimes related to their pay.

    The other five officers who were indicted in the case face counts of engaging in organized criminal activity resulting from the investigation into the botched raid. The officers indicted on Monday were:

    Oscar Pardo - (HPD) Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, to wit: Aggregate Theft by a Public Servant ($30,000 or more but less than $150,000) and Tampering with a Governmental Record (1st degree)
    Cedell Lovings - (Status Unclear) Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, to wit: Aggregate Theft by a Public Servant ($30,000 or more but less than $150,000) and Tampering with a Governmental Record (1st degree)
    Nadeem Ashraf - (HPD) Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, to wit: Aggregate Theft by a Public Servant ($30,000 or more but less than $150,000) and Tampering with a Governmental Record (1st degree)
    Clemente Reyna - (No longer HPD, retired) Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, to wit: Aggregate Theft by a Public Servant ($30,000 or more but less than $150,000) and Tampering with a Governmental Record (1st degree)
    Thomas Wood - (No longer HPD, retired) Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, to wit: Aggregate Theft by a Public Servant ($30,000 or more but less than $150,000) and Tampering with a Governmental Record (1st degree)

    According to Ogg, the newly indicted officers had been involved in a long-term scheme to steal overtime from the city.

    Also on Tuesday, the Houston Police Officers Union also responded to the latest indictments to HPD officers, with union president Doug Griffith characterizing the lesser charges as paperwork irregularities that prosecutors cherry-picked in the investigation.

    Overall, both Griffith and Hardin ripped District Attorney Kim Ogg decision to prosecute Gallegos, with the former insisting his actions had nothing to do with the alleged way Goines obtained the warrant.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gawna View Post
    Roses are red, violets are blue, seriously where is the fucking ring I gave Julie and ask her mom about the flowers
    Quote Originally Posted by Ron_NYC View Post
    In all fairness, we have no idea how big this dude's cock was.

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