Reason: Grand Jury Indictments Paint a Picture of Deadly Deceit in Houston Narcotics Division

Reason: Grand Jury Indictments Paint a Picture of Deadly Deceit in Houston Narcotics Division by Jacob Sullum (“The charges, which grew out of a lethal 2019 raid based on a fraudulent search warrant affidavit, suggest that cops routinely built their cases on lies.”):

A Harris County, Texas, grand jury has confirmed the criminal charges against six former Houston narcotics officers that District Attorney Kim Ogg announced on July 1, while adding two more counts against one of the defendants. The 17 felony charges include falsification of search warrants, fraudulent reports of drug purchases, and phony overtime claims. The indictments, which were issued on Friday, reflect the shady practices and lax supervision that enabled veteran Houston police officer Gerald Goines to instigate a deadly 2019 raid based on a drug sale that never happened.

All six defendants—three officers, two sergeants, and a lieutenant—worked for the Houston Police Department’s Narcotics Division, which according to an internal audit has been plagued for years by sloppy record keeping and loose oversight. “These indictments reinforce our decision to prosecute the graft, greed and corruption in this troubled Houston Police division,” Ogg said. “We look forward to presenting all of the evidence in a courtroom to a jury and the people of Harris County.”

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