The Ector County District Attorney’s Office has asked Ector County judges to award the Odessa Police Department more than $10,000 its officers seized during recent drug busts.
According to court documents filed Tuesday, the money seized was used or intended to be used during the commission of a felony and therefore subject to forfeiture under the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure.
The documents show $7,698 was seized from Dominic Adrian Gutierrez Jan. 3. Just over $1,000 was seized from Gerardo Ignacio Rojas Jan. 5 and $1,936 was seized from Detaeveon Detron Warren Jan. 3.
According to OPD records, detectives investigating Harvey Gutierrez in connection with the Dec. 28 murder of Maurice Rogers found a safe in the bedroom of his son, Dominic Gutierrez, and it contained Xanax, cocaine and marijuana. In the attic, detectives found two more safes with Xanax, cocaine, psilocybin or “magic mushrooms” and cocaine. They also found evidence linking Dominic Gutierrez to the safes.
All told, detectives seized more than 519 grams of cocaine and arrested Dominic Gutierrez on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance 200 grams-400 grams, a first-degree felony.
Harvey Gutierrez was arrested on suspicion of murder in the Rogers’ case and is also facing drug and sexual assault of a child charges.
OPD records indicate Rojas was arrested after police found 4.9 grams of M30 pills and a small amount of marijuana during a traffic stop and Rojas admitted they were his.
Warren was arrested on suspicion of manufacturing/delivery of a controlled substance after officers found vape pens containing THC and marijuana in his motel room and he admitted he was selling the pens for $40 apiece, OPD records indicate. A judge later determined the officers did not have sufficient evidence to arrest Warren and he was released from custody.
