Former Coffee City Police Chief John Jay Portillo Embroiled in Six-Count Felony Charge

Former Coffee City Police Chief John Jay Portillo is facing six felony counts of tampering with government records, stemming from allegations that he falsified information on his job application. Specifically, he is accused of failing to disclose a DUI charge from Florida and disciplinary actions from previous law enforcement positions in Harris County .YouTube+9KHOU+9KHOU+9Wikipedia+2KHOU+2KHOU+2

Portillo was appointed as Coffee City's police chief in April 2021. During his tenure, he expanded the department to 50 officers in a town with a population of approximately 250. Investigations revealed that over half of these officers had prior suspensions, terminations, or other disciplinary issues from previous law enforcement roles .Wikipedia+2KHOU+2KHOU+2Wikipedia

In September 2023, following media scrutiny and internal investigations, the Coffee City Council unanimously voted to terminate Portillo's employment and temporarily disband the police department .KHOU+1Wikipedia+1

Portillo has pleaded not guilty to the charges. His legal proceedings have experienced several delays, with pretrial hearings rescheduled multiple times. As of January 2025, new court dates were set for February and March .https://www.kltv.com