Former Coffee City mayor facing felony charges in ongoing investigation

Frank Serrato

KHOU 11
Author: Jeremy Rogalski
Published: 5:20 PM CST December 22, 2023
Updated: 5:26 PM CST December 22, 2023

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.

Another day, another indictment in the wake of our Coffee City Police Dept. investigation. This time, the town's former mayor, Frank Serrato, is charged with felony tampering with a gov't record. Serrato was also a former Coffee City reserve police officer. More at 5 @KHOU pic.twitter.com/IirkVeD1fl

— Jeremy Rogalski (@JRogalskiKHOU) December 22, 2023

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.