HOUSTON — The former Coffee City mayor is facing felony charges in the wake of a KHOU 11 investigation that triggered the shut down of the town’s police department.
Frank Serrato was booked in the Henderson County jail Friday on five felony counts of tampering with a government record. Serrao served as Coffee’s City mayor until August 2022, according to city council meeting minutes. He also was a reserve police officer for the town between March 2018 and April 2022, according to Texas Commission on Law Enforcement records.
The details of the charges were not immediately known. KHOU 11 Investigates was unable to obtain a copy of the indictment from the Henderson County District Clerk’s office, which was closed for the holidays Friday.
Three other former Coffee City officers, including fired Police Chief JohnJay Portillo, were indicted on similar charges over the past two weeks. In those cases, the indictment accused them of lying about previous misconduct on their Coffee City job applications.
The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, TCOLE, requires police agency job applicants to disclose any prior citations, detentions, arrests, convictions and disciplinary actions on their personal history statements. The form contains a written warning: “Be truthful, as there are criminal consequences for lying on a government document.”
Beginning in August, KHOU 11 Investigates revealed how more than half of the small town’s 50 officers had been suspended, demoted, terminated, or dishonorably discharged from their previous law enforcement jobs.
Henderson County jail records show Serrato was released on 150,000 dollar bond. He did not immediately respond to phone and text messages seeking comment.
You can see the full three-part investigation here, as well as the follow-up reports.
- PART 1: This Texas town has about 250 people. It has 50 sworn police officers.
- PART 2: Caught on camera: Small-town police chief goes on tirade
- PART 3: Coffee City Police Department suspends division after KHOU 11 Investigates questioned its legality
- RELATED: Coffee City police chief suspended after KHOU 11 Investigation
- RELATED: Coffee City mayor ‘shocked’ by KHOU 11 Investigates findings over police hiring practices
- RELATED: In wake of KHOU 11 Investigates reports, Coffee City fires police chief, deactivates police department