HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A retired Houston Police Department officer is accused of using a law enforcement badge to get into a restricted area of the Harris County Joint Processing Center to speak with an inmate, according to court documents.
Marvin Nickerson is accused and charged with impersonating a law enforcement officer to talk to an inmate who was waiting to be processed into the Harris County Jail, court documents said.
Authorities said that the incident happened in July, but Nickerson was not arrested until Wednesday and has since bonded out. The sheriff’s office would not say why it took months for him to face charges.
According to the sheriff’s office, Nickerson presented a photo credentialed badge to employees at the joint processing center. The badge identified him as an active sergeant with HPD.
Law enforcement has not said whether this was his old photo ID or something else.
Nickerson was granted a law enforcement officer visitor tag to visit an inmate. Shortly after, an HPD investigator arrived to interview the same inmate and was told an investigator was already inside.
The sheriff’s office says the officer told them he was the investigator assigned, and Nickerson was escorted out.
Jail staff only realized Nickerson was not supposed to be in the restricted area when the HPD investigator arrived, the sheriff’s office said.
Investigators have not said which inmate Nickerson met with.
HPD would not comment when ABC13 first reached out. When contacted again a few hours later, HPD said all retired officers are issued HPD retired IDs. That response did not address how or why Nickerson’s badge identified him as an active sergeant when the sheriff says he entered the restricted area.
No one answered the door when ABC13 went to Nickerson’s home. A for-sale sign sat in the front yard.
Nickerson’s defense attorney said his client has no comment at this time and that they are currently gathering evidence for review.
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