Tampa, FL – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Eric Houston (56, Riverview) today pleaded guilty to receipt of stolen government property. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

According to the plea agreement, while working as a detective with the Tampa Police Department, Houston allowed a co-conspirator, Rita Girven, to pay off more than $5,000 in credit card debt that he and his wife, LaJoyce Houston, had accrued on their Home Depot credit card, knowing that the payoff funds had been obtained from fraudulent federal income tax refunds.

In a related case, on March 16, 2015, Girven pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. On November 20, 2015, she was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison.

LaJoyce Houston’s case is pending trial for her alleged role in the conspiracy.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mandy Riedel and Megan Kistler.