Vice Officer Samuel Roccaforte Arrested for Tampering with Records

A Houston Police Department vice officer appeared in court this morning after being arrested during the weekend on two charges of tampering with a government record in connection with a prostitution arrest.

Samuel Anthony Roccaforte, 57, is accused of arresting a woman for prostitution and filing a false police record about what the 45-year-old said in her bedroom.

The woman, whose prostitution charges have been dropped, protested being arrested for offering sex in exchange for money.

On tape, the officer can be heard saying, “Well, you did, you know you did, I know you did. There's no audio, there's no video. It's gonna be my word against yours and who do you think they're going to believe?” according to court records.

Documents show Roccaforte called the woman after seeing an advertisement with her phone number on a website. The woman invited the officer to her apartment and once inside, into her bedroom, where she invited him to place a donation on a table.

Because Roccaforte began asking questions about having sex for money, the woman believed he was a police officer, the charging document shows. She said she did not provide that type of service.

Roccaforte arrested the woman for prostitution and wrote that she agreed to have sex for $200.

Roccaforte is free after posting $4,000 bond Sunday. Both charges stem from the same incident. The state jail felony is punishable by a maximum of two years behind bars.

Harris County records show that the woman has been convicted of DWI and was placed on deferred adjudication for drug possession.

Roccaforte's attorney Chip Lewis said he had not heard the tape.

“Our preliminary investigation directly contradicts the state's version,” Lewis said. “However, I will not be able to be more specific until we've had an opportunity to review the evidence.”

Calls to HPD were not immediately returned.