Charges dropped against HPD officer accused of tampering

HOUSTON Samuel Roccaforte, a veteran HPD officer who works for the department's vice division, was facing two counts of tampering with a government record, but the grand jury dropped the charges. The 57-year-old Roccaforte allegedly lied on an offense report so he could arrest and charge a 46-year-old woman with prostitution.

According to court documents, Roccaforte wrote in his offense report that the woman "agreed to engage in sexual intercourse... in exchange for $200."

However, the woman had secretly taped a conversation the two had in her apartment after she says Roccaforte contacted her through an online advertisement.

"In the tape recording, that is not clear at all," said Donna Hawkins with the Harris County District Attorney's Office. "In fact, the tape recording disputes what the officer put in his report."

Roccaforte was relieved of duty back in March pending the outcome of a criminal investigation.