Police say Jesse Frank Perry, 30, was caught trying to deliver almost a pound of coke he thought he had stolen from dealers.
Court records show it was an informant who first tipped off Houston police officers to the actions of Perry. They set up a sting, and an arrest was made on September 29.
At the apartment complex where Perry lived, the HBU police officer is known as the nice courtesy officer who helped residents when needed.
"He's a very nice man, very nice man," said neighbor Robin Bass."He walks our property with a dog."
But court records show Perry used his pet dog in a very different manner. In a parking lot along East Little York on Thursday, undercover HPD officers set up a sting using a kilo of cocaine. Court records show Perry, in his full HBU uniform, took the cocaine, had his dog sniff it, then put it in his car. Perry then allegedly drove to a nearby Walgreens parking lot before Houston police officers arrested him.
"Yesterday at 5:30pm, we were contacted by Houston Police Department's Internal Affairs division, they told us they had an officer in custody," said HBU Police Chief Charles Miller.
HBU officials say these charges against Perry are shocking. They say he's worked for three years at the university and he's never had an incident until now.
"He's been fired from our police department. He's been immediately suspended him and terminated his employment at HBU," said Chief Miller. "We don't tolerate it, we can't accept it."
Perry has not only been fired by the university, but the apartment complex where he lives says it will no longer use him as a courtesy officer and will ask him to move out.
His neighbors remain in disbelief.
"He's my neighbor, he's my friend, he's our courtesy officer; I speak to him, we see him quite a bit. I never would have expected that," said Bass.
Perry is charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. He is in Harris County Jail on $52,000 bond. He is due back in court on October 3.
