The Gerald Goines case centers on a former Houston Police Department narcotics officer who was convicted of two counts of felony murder in September 2024 and sentenced to 60 years in prison for the deaths of Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas, a married couple killed during a January 2019 drug raid at their Harding Street home. Goines fabricated the affidavit used to obtain the no-knock warrant, and the exposure of that lie triggered a review of thousands of his past cases and, so far, at least 38 exonerations. His appeal is pending.
What Happened at Harding Street
On January 28, 2019, HPD narcotics officers executed a no-knock search warrant at 7815 Harding Street. The raid became a shootout. Tuttle and Nicholas were killed. Four officers, Goines among them, were wounded.1U.S. Department of Justice. Goines Indicted on Federal Civil Rights Charge
The warrant rested on a sworn affidavit in which Goines said he had paid a confidential informant to buy heroin at the house. There was no such informant, and no heroin was found in the home.2Courthouse News Service. Former Houston Police Officer Found Guilty of Felony Murder for Two Deaths in Botched Raid Within weeks, then-Chief Art Acevedo said the affidavit contained “material untruths or lies” and called the fabrication a “serious crime.”3The New York Times. Houston Police Officer Lied About Informant in Raid That Killed Two
The raid was partly set in motion by a neighbor. On January 8, 2019, Patricia Ann Garcia made a series of false 911 calls claiming her daughter was being held inside the home, that the residents were drug dealers, and that they had guns. Judge George C. Hanks later described her conduct as “SWAT-ing.”4Houston Chronicle. Woman Who Lied in 911 Calls About Harding Street Sentenced Garcia, who had a long-running dispute with Nicholas, pleaded guilty in March 2021 to providing false information and was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.5Houston Public Media. Houston Woman Sentenced for False 911 Calls Sparking Fatal Harding Street Drug Raid
The Felony Murder Conviction and 60-Year Sentence
Goines was charged at both the state and federal level. In Harris County, he faced felony murder, engaging in organized criminal activity, tampering with government records, and theft by a public servant.6Houston Public Media. Harding Street Raid Former Houston Police Officer Gerald Goines Reindicted on Murder Charges A federal grand jury separately returned a nine-count indictment in November 2019 covering civil rights and obstruction charges.1U.S. Department of Justice. Goines Indicted on Federal Civil Rights Charge
The state trial ran two weeks in September 2024 before Judge Veronica Nelson. The prosecution’s theory was that Goines committed a felony by lying on the warrant affidavit, and that felony directly caused the deaths. “But for Gerald Goines lying on that search warrant, none of this is happening,” prosecutor Keaton Forcht told the jury.2Courthouse News Service. Former Houston Police Officer Found Guilty of Felony Murder for Two Deaths in Botched Raid Defense attorney Nicole DeBorde conceded that Goines had lied on the affidavit but disputed that the lie amounted to felony murder. On September 25, 2024, the jury convicted him on both counts.
Sentencing included testimony from Otis Mallet, one of the people Goines had framed years earlier. Prosecutors asked for life. The defense asked for the five-year minimum, citing Goines’ health and community service, and argued that anything over 10 years would be a “death sentence.”7Houston Public Media. Gerald Goines Sentenced to 60 Years for Harding Street Murder Convictions On October 3, 2024, Goines had a medical emergency in the courtroom during closing arguments and was taken by ambulance to a hospital; proceedings paused until October 7.8Houston Public Media. Ex-Houston PD Officer Gerald Goines Has Medical Episode in Court Amid Sentencing Trial
On October 8, 2024, the jury sentenced Goines to 60 years on each count, running concurrently, plus a $20,000 fine. He will be eligible for parole after 30 years, shortly after his 90th birthday.7Houston Public Media. Gerald Goines Sentenced to 60 Years for Harding Street Murder Convictions Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg called it “the most important verdict in the Harris County district,” saying, “No officer has ever been convicted of murder in Harris County until now.”9Click2Houston. DA Kim Ogg, Harding Street Victims’ Family React to Sentencing
The Wrongful Convictions He Left Behind
After Goines’ fabrication came to light, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office opened a review of more than 1,400 cases in which he had been personally involved, a figure that grew to more than 14,000 cases tied to his narcotics unit. Ogg said her office had an “immediate ethical obligation” to notify defendants and their attorneys.10Houston Public Media. Harris County DA to Review 1,400 Cases Involving Houston Cop Who Led Deadly Raid
As of the most recent count, 38 people have had their convictions vacated and charges dismissed because of Goines’ misconduct.11National Registry of Exonerations. Gerald Goines Group Exonerations Prosecutors have noted that all of the defendants in the reviewed cases were people of color, and the underlying charges ranged from misdemeanors to serious felonies.12Houston Chronicle. DA Kim Ogg Seeks to Overturn Another 90 Goines Cases
The best-known exonerations involve brothers Otis and Steven Mallet. In 2008, Goines arrested both and claimed to have bought $200 worth of crack cocaine from Steven, though police records showed no such expenditure and confidential-informant evidence was never disclosed to the defense. Otis Mallet was sentenced to eight years and served two on parole. In 2020, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals declared him “actually innocent,” his charges were dismissed, and he received $260,417 in state compensation. Steven Mallet’s conviction was vacated in 2021.11National Registry of Exonerations. Gerald Goines Group Exonerations
A 2004 drug arrest of George Floyd, later killed by Minneapolis police in 2020, was also among the tainted cases. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles briefly recommended a posthumous pardon before withdrawing the recommendation.11National Registry of Exonerations. Gerald Goines Group Exonerations
Other Officers and the Overtime Case
Goines’ then-partner, Steven Bryant, pleaded guilty in federal court in June 2021 to obstructing justice by falsifying records connected to the no-knock warrant. Bryant had claimed in a supplemental report that he helped investigate the residence and identified heroin purchased there.13Houston Public Media. Former Houston Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Falsifying Records in Harding Street Raid Case
Officer Felipe Gallegos, who shot and killed Tuttle and Nicholas during the raid, was initially indicted for murder. That charge was dismissed in August 2021 so the evidence could be re-presented to a new grand jury after concerns about a former prosecutor’s handling of the case.14Fox 26 Houston. Murder Charge Dismissed Against Houston Police Officer in Connection to Harding Street Raid
A Harris County grand jury also indicted 10 other officers from Goines’ Squad 15 on charges tied to an alleged overtime-fraud scheme, with losses estimated between $30,000 and $150,000.15Houston Chronicle. HPD Harding Street Raid Overtime Charges Dropped Those indictments moved through a quash-and-reindict cycle. Then, on February 13, 2025, newly elected Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare dismissed all 17 remaining charges against eight officers, saying a “thorough review of the facts” showed insufficient evidence and that HPD officials had confirmed the officers acted within existing overtime policies. Teare said the charges had been “kept on life-support by the previous District Attorney to generate headlines.”16Click2Houston. Charges Dismissed for 8 Houston Police Officers Linked to Deadly Harding Street Raid
The Civil Lawsuit and No-Knock Warrant Changes
In 2021, the families of Tuttle and Nicholas filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas against the City of Houston, Acevedo, and other officers, alleging Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment violations. The plaintiff of record is Clifford Tuttle Jr., Dennis Tuttle’s nephew. Houston City Council has approved more than $3.7 million in legal costs to defend the city.17Houston Chronicle. Harding Street Raid Lawsuit The trial, originally set for November 2024, was postponed by U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett to May 2025 after the October re-indictment of the eight officers raised potential Fifth Amendment complications for civil testimony.18Houston Chronicle. Harding Street Civil Trial Moved to Next Year
HPD revised how it obtains no-knock warrants after the raid. Under current policy, a no-knock warrant requires sign-off from the Chief of Police and oversight from a specific type of judge.19ABC 13. Gerald Goines Guilty: Harding Street Raid Legacy and No-Knock Warrants Houston Police Policy In April 2021, the city established the Office of Policing Reform and Accountability, which oversees an Independent Police Oversight Board and a public data platform tracking use of force, traffic stops, and disciplinary actions.20City of Houston. Office of Policing Reform and Accountability
Statewide restrictions have stalled. HB 504, which would have limited no-knock warrants, passed the Texas House 104–33 in 2023 but died in the Senate.21Reason. Texas House Overwhelmingly Approves Restrictions on No-Knock Warrants A similar bill, HB 1765, was introduced in 2025, with its fate uncertain.22KBTX. This Week in the 89th Texas Legislature: No-Knock Warrants, Online Safety, and More
Where the Appeal Stands
Goines is serving his 60-year sentence in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice unit. In November 2024, his legal team filed a motion for a new trial, citing what they described as withheld evidence.23Houston Public Media. Ex-Houston Officer Gerald Goines Requests New Trial After 60-Year Prison Sentence DeBorde filed a notice of appeal and said the case presents “excellent appellate issues,” maintaining, “We still don’t believe legally that he is guilty of the crime of felony murder.”24Spectrum News. Ex-Houston Officer Gets 60 Years for Deaths of Couple During Drug Raid The federal criminal case against Goines in the Southern District of Texas was terminated on the docket in June 2021; the specific resolution is not publicly detailed.25CourtListener. United States v. Goines, 4:19-cr-00832
Ryan Tuttle, Dennis Tuttle’s son, said after the sentencing: “My father and my stepmother were not involved in any drug dealing. They were good people. They did not deserve this.”24Spectrum News. Ex-Houston Officer Gets 60 Years for Deaths of Couple During Drug Raid