HENDERSON COUNTY, Texas — Editor's Note: The above video aired on March 12, 2024.
Former Coffee City Police Chief John Jay Portillo has officially received a plea offer from the prosecution in connection with his tampering with government records charges, his lawyer said Monday.
Portillo is charged with six counts of tampering with government records for allegedly lying repeatedly on his Coffee City job application by failing to disclose a driving under the influence charge out of Florida and discipline he received at two previous police agencies in Harris County.
His defense attorney Justin Weiner said that during a status conference Monday, the defense announced they recently received an offer, but Portillo's team needs "some time to consider the offer."
The case was then reset for another status conference on May 20.
In September 2023, the Coffee City Council fired Portillo and disbanded the entire department. Indictments against former officers came after the disbandment.
A KHOU 11 Investigation last year that preceded the council's decision exposed questionable practices within the force. This includes increasing the police force to 50 officers for a town of barely 250 people with over half of those cops being previously suspended, demoted, terminated, or dishonorably discharged from their past law enforcement jobs.
Four other former officers are also facing tampering with government records charges. This includes Jerrod Sieck, Christopher Witzel, Lonnie Hicks and former Coffee City Mayor Frank Serrato, who was a reserve police officer.
Serrato has an arraignment hearing on April 15. Sieck and Hicks have hearings set for May 20.