Officer arrested in prostitution bust retires amid investigation

A veteran Houston police officer arrested during an extensive police prostitution sting last month has retired from the department while under an internal affairs investigation.

Robert Teweleit, 54, was arrested by fellow Houston police officers on Oct. 4, during a 10-day sting at a former massage parlor that vice officers operated as a brothel.

Teweleit remains charged with a misdemeanor prostitution offense, according to Harris County District Court documents. Teweleit’s next scheduled court appearance is Dec. 11.

The officer’s name and mugshot were initially withheld by police following the undercover operation, which resulted in the arrests of 138 other men. Those names and mugshots were released during an Oct. 26 news conference by Police Chief Art Acevedo.

On Friday, the chief noted that Teweleit is the second Houston police officer to be arrested by the department in as many months, and he offered it as proof the Houston Police Department can be trusted to discipline its own.

“Any time a police officer violates a criminal statute, they not only violate the law but they violate the public trust and their oath of office,” Acevedo said. “It saddens us, all of us in law enforcement. It not only taints the individual, it taints the profession.”

Acevedo said the “silver lining” to the embarrassing arrests is it demonstrates accountability by the department.

“It is additional proof that despite the narrative that police don’t do a good job of policing themselves, his arrest and the arrest of a female officer is proof we do police our own,” the chief said. “We do hold the few bad apples who commit crimes responsible. We will not tolerate mediocrity, we will not tolerate officers violating the law. We will hold people accountable.”

Teweleit was not initially identified because he was an undercover officer and his last assignment was with the auto theft division, HPD spokesman John Cannon said. He was sworn in to the department in September 1986, and after he was arrested he was suspended with pay until he retired from HPD on Nov. 1.

The retired officer is represented by Houston attorney Paul Aman, who was unavailable for comment Friday. Aman’s legal administrator, David Donahue, said Friday afternoon that he worried of his client’s identity being made public considering his past undercover assigments in the department.

Once known as the “7 Star Spa” at 11316 Westheimer, the massage parlor with seven private rooms, two stand-up shower rooms and a kitchen/ laundry room had a sordid history of prostitution busts before it was closed in 2016, police officials said during the Oct. 26 news conference.

HPD’s vice division reopened the spa in early October as “8 Star Spa,” and officers disguised themselves as employees to make arrests. Most of the men were arrested at the brothel after money changed hands, and they were then booked into jail.

During that news conference, Acevedo said the undercover police officers charged an average rate of $60 as a door fee and $120 for sex acts.

“These 139 individuals are part of the reason the sex trade is alive here in Houston,” Acevedo said at the time. “These men should be ashamed.”

Because Teweleit was arrested while off duty, the Houston Police Officers Union is not representing him, second vice president Joe Gamaldi said. Teweleit’s arrest and charge does not affect his pension, Gamaldi added.

“If the allegations are true, it is conduct unbecoming of a Houston police officer,” Gamaldi said.