Former Houston officer Gerald Goines sentenced to five years in federal prison

Former Houston Police Department officer Gerald Goines has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for deprivation of rights under color of law. This sentence follows his guilty plea regarding the 2019 Harding Street raid, a botched no-knock operation that resulted in the deaths of Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas, and injuries to four officers.

Goines admitted to making materially false statements in an affidavit to secure the search warrant. Specifically, he falsely claimed a confidential informant had purchased heroin from the residents. He also provided false information regarding other drug purchases at the residence in the weeks preceding the raid.

Goines is already serving a 60-year state prison sentence for murder related to the incident. Because he received credit for time already served, he will serve an additional 35 months for the federal conviction. During his sentencing hearing, Goines expressed remorse, stating, “I’m embarrassed, I’m ashamed. I’m not a bad person, I’m not a bad police officer. I’m truly sorry. I truly apologize to the families I’ve hurt.”