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2 clusters · 2 sources · 14 days · First seen · Last updated

Coffee City mayoral legal and political developments

Overview

Former Coffee City Mayor Frank Serrato recently had five felony charges of tampering with government records dismissed. This dismissal followed an agreement in which Serrato surrendered his Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) peace officer license.

The charges stemmed from a 2023 investigation into the Coffee City police department, which resulted in the department’s deactivation. The indictment alleged that Serrato failed to disclose certain information on his TCOLE personal history statement, including previous employment and a 1996 arrest. Other former law enforcement officials, such as former Police Chief Johnjay Portillo and officer Lonnie Hicks, reached similar agreements to have their charges dismissed by surrendering their TCOLE licenses.

Following the dismissal of these legal charges, Serrato announced his candidacy for reelection as mayor of Coffee City in the upcoming November 3 election. He will compete against Earl Harmon and Alderman Kevin Haughey.

Entities

Coffee City · Texas Commission on Law Enforcement · Frank Serrato · Harris County Sheriff’s Office · Johnjay Portillo

Timeline

  1. 1 day ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Frank Serrato seeks reelection as Coffee City mayor

    Former Coffee City mayor Frank Serrato is running for office again in November following the dismissal of five felony charges related to government records tampering.

  2. 15 days ago

    [CRIME] 2 sources
    Frank Serrato's felony charges dismissed after TCOLE agreement

    Former Coffee City Mayor Frank Serrato had felony tampering charges dismissed after agreeing to surrender his Texas peace officer license following a 2023 police department investigation.

Sources

ktemnews.com · tdpri.com