Harris Co. Sheriff's Office deputy indicted for possession, delivery of ecstasy tablets

Jesus Martinez, a Harris County Sheriff's Office deputy, has surrendered to federal authorities following the return of a federal indictment alleging he aided in the possession of a controlled substance, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A Harris County Sheriff's deputy is off the job, accused of aiding in the possession and delivery of ecstasy tablets in the Houston area.

Jesus Martinez, of Humble, has surrendered to federal authorities following the return of a federal indictment that on or about July 23, Martinez allegedly aided others in the possession of MDMA, aka ecstasy, a schedule I controlled substance.

Harris Co. Sheriff Adrian Garcia released a statement Friday which read in part, "Every single one of the employees at the HCSO is expected to obey the law and play by the rules. If an employee becomes involved in criminal behavior then they should know that we will do everything in our power to make sure we find them the jail cell they deserve. Mr. Martinez owes an apology to his colleagues, his coworkers, and the residents of Harris County... His actions have tainted the good work of our deputies who risk their lives every day to keep Harris County safe."

Martinez, 30, had been employed with the HCSO since 2007 and was assigned to the patrol bureau.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years imprisonment as well as a $1 million fine.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Four indicted in alleged hate crime beating of black man at bus stop

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- What allegedly happened at a Houston bus stop is now being prosecuted as a hate crime. Four white men are accused of attacking a black man.

Late one night last August, Yondell Johnson was sitting at a bus stop waiting for the bus when he saw four men approach him, throw a few racial epithets around, and attacked.

"It was like I couldn't believe this was happening, and I thought I could be dying especially when they had me on the ground," said Johnson.

On Thursday, Johnson says justice is finally being served because the four suspects -- Charles Cannon, Michael McLaughlin, Brian Kerstetter and Joseph Staggs -- have been indicted on federal hate crime charges, meaning that the motive behind the attack was Johnson's race.

"I knew it still happened, but right here in my own back yard -- not really," said Johnson

The indictment by the federal government is a result of a multi-month investigation involving the FBI, the Houston Police Department and other local authorities. It is significant because it's only the third time the hate crime statute has been used since it passed Congress in 2009.

"The message is not only is this a new tool for law enforcement to use, but the community needs to know the law enforcement people here in Houston are willing to use it," said Stephen Morris with the FBI.

Investigators say three of the men have white supremacist gang tattoos.

The four suspects were arrested at the scene following a 911 call. If convicted, each could face up to 10 years in prison.

All four are already facing charges in Harris County, but for Johnson this day is significant.

"I'm just glad the justice is coming to an end, and justice is finally served," said Johnson.

All four men are charged with violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. It was passed in October 2009 and it expanded a previous federal hate crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. The act was the first federal law to extend legal protections to transgender persons.

James Byrd Jr. was the Jasper man who was dragged to his death from a pickup truck in 1998 by three white men. His murder led Texas to pass its own hate crime law in 2001.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Day care owner indicted on four murder charges for fatal fire

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A Harris County grand jury has indicted the day care owner accused in a fatal fire on four felony murder charges, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Jessica Tata is charged with murder in connection to the February deaths of four children in a fire at her in-home day care. Three other children were also injured. Tata fled to Nigeria in the days following the blaze and was eventually captured and returned to Houston. "The grand jurors spent a great deal of time carefully evaluating the testimony and the evidence in these cases. I appreciate their thoroughness and hard work," Harris County Assistant District Attorney Carl Hobbs said in a prepared statement. Tata, 22, pleaded not guilty to the initial charges back in March. Last Friday, a judge ruled that Tata's $1.1 million bond would stand after denying bond reduction at a hearing. Tata will remain in jail on nine charges related to the Feb. 24 fire that also injured three children. Authorities believe the 23-year-old left all seven children in her care alone while she went shopping, and the fire was ignited by a pot of oil left on a lit stove-top burner. Eighteen-month-old Elias Castillo, 20-month-old Kendyll Stradford, 3-year-old Shomari Dickerson and 19-month-old Elizabeth Kajoh all perished in the fire. The range of punishment for the new indictments is from five years to life in prison if convicted. Tata is expected to appear in court for her arraignment on July 8. Tata is also facing two civil lawsuits from the parents of the victims. Jessica Tata's attorney did not return our phone calls. City passes ordinance to protect children Not only was Jessica Tata indicted Wednesday in the deaths of four children, but the city of Houston plans to do more to protect other children who go to home day cares. Tata's indictment Wednesday on four counts of felony murder came a little more than three months after four toddlers under her care died in that horrible fire at her in-home day care. "It won't bring the children back. People are responsible for their actions," said Houston City Council Member Sue Lovell. She says the indictments are important, but what's more important is what the city can do to help prevent such tragedies in the future. On Wednesday, City Council passed an ordinance requiring home daycares to pay a $100 inspection fee and get inspected by the Houston Fire Department every year. "In talking to our fire chief, he believes this is an appropriate role for our fire department," said Mayor Annise Parker. Tata's day care, like all home day cares, was already inspected by the state. But the new city ordinance means within city limits, there will be another set of eyes on home day cares. "If we can do anything to make children safer, then that's what we can do in City Council and I believe that's what we're doing," said Lovell. The new ordinance will require the fire department to look for fire code violations such as smoke detectors and clearly marked exits. No one knows if this would have prevented the February fire at Tata's day care, but the city hopes no other tragedies occur down the road. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Grand jury no bills DPS trooper indicted after chase

 A grand jury no billed DPS Trooper Andrew Papanos who was charged with aggravated assault by a peace officer after a November high-speed car chase in Fort Bend County.

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A grand jury has no billed a state trooper who was indicted last month because of what happened in the aftermath of a car chase in Fort Bend County.

DPS Trooper Andrew Papanos had been indicted on a charge of aggravated assault by a peace officer in connection to the alleged beating of 58-year-old Ricki Kelley. In November, Kelley allegedly led officers on a high-speed chase that stretched from Patton Village to near Rosenberg and had fired shots at the officers during the pursuit. When spike strips finally disabled Kelley's car, he exited with a shotgun in hand. What happened next was never revealed to the media, but Kelley was injured enough that he was flown by medical helicopter to a hospital. A dash-cam in a patrol car caught the confrontation on tape, which led to the Papanos' indictment. Attorneys, however, claimed the DPS trooper did what he had to do to get control of the situation. On Thursday, grand jurors reviewed the evidence in the case and decided to drop the charge against Papanos. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

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