Judge sentences former Houston officer to five years for 2019 raid
Gerald Goines accepted a plea deal on Monday for federal charges related to the fatal search of a Harding Street home.
By Ibrahim Howard ·
A federal judge on Monday sentenced former Houston Police Department officer Gerald Goines to five years in prison. The sentence resolves the plea agreement Goines reached regarding his willful abuse of official authority.
The five-year term addresses the federal color of law charge. This charge applies when a government official uses their position to deprive citizens of civil rights. It is separate from the state charges Goines already faces.
Goines admitted in August of this year that he fabricated the basis for a search warrant. He claimed a confidential informant had bought heroin from the residents of the Harding Street home. He also stated that other drug transactions occurred at the location in the three weeks before the raid. Goines later confirmed both claims were false.
The U.S. Attorney's Office notes that Goines never investigated the property before the 2019 operation. He did not have an informant. He led a narcotics team into the home to execute a no-knock warrant. The raid resulted in the deaths of Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas.
Four other HPD officers were injured during the botched entry. Goines is currently serving a 60-year prison sentence for the 2024 state murder convictions. He will serve the new five-year federal term in connection with those convictions.
During the sentencing hearing, Goines apologized to the families affected by the raid. He stated, "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."
The judge accepted the plea terms without additional commentary. The federal case closes the investigation into the warrant process, while the state murder case remains separate.
