Former Coffee City police chief JohnJay Portillo, 51, of Houston, was indicted on six felony charges and booked into the Henderson County Jail on Wednesday. The charges, revealed by the Henderson County District Attorney's Office, include six counts of tampering with government records, with an offense date for each charge listed as April 12, 2021.
The indictment, issued by a Henderson County grand jury, alleges that Portillo failed to report various incidents when filing personal history statements on the mentioned date. The omitted charges include an arrest on Sept. 9, 2004, by the Panama City Beach Police Department for a DUI, a written warning from the Houston Community College System Police Department from April 28, 2010, and other incidents from Harris County law enforcement agencies.
Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse signed a warrant for Portillo's arrest on Dec. 4. Portillo posted bond on Wednesday, totaling $900,000.
In September 2023, Portillo was terminated from his position as Coffee City police chief, leading to the dissolution of the entire police department. Coffee City mayor Jeff Blackstone stated in a statement that the city is working to finalize the deactivation of the police department and is in the process of selling off their police units. As of Wednesday, the council is not considering reinstating the department.
Prior to his arrest, Portillo had filed to run for Harris County Precinct 3 Constable, with the election scheduled for March 2024.
