Wife of Former Harris County Deputy Sheriff Pleads Guilty to Concealing Husband’s Crime

HOUSTON—The wife of a former Harris County Deputy Sheriff has been convicted of misprison of a felony after pleading guilty to the felony charge in federal court, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today.

Tania Katrisse Ellington, 32, of Houston, the wife of former Harris County Deputy Sheriff George Wesley Ellington, 38, pleaded guilty this afternoon to one count of misprison of a felony before U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison. George Wesley Ellington, 38, previously pleaded guilty on April 14, 2011, to one count of extortion under color of official right. At that time, he admitted he had accepted $500 for using his position to access confidential information from secured law enforcement databases and for providing security/protection in his capacity as a Harris County deputy sheriff to a person he believed was illegally possessing and transporting 3, 4 Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly called Ecstasy.

Today, Tania Katrise Ellington acknowledged she became aware in February 2010 of her husband’s actions and thereafter, from February to April 2010, affirmatively concealed her husband’s crime from law enforcement authorities by helping him repeat the crime on April 22, 2010.

Tania Ellington faces a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine at her sentencing, to be held on July 14, 2011, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Ellison. George Ellington faces a maximum prison term of 60 months for his crime without parole at his sentencing on June 30, 2010.

Her husband has resigned from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

The case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Harris County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Daniel C. Rodriguez and F. Andino Reynal.