A Houston attorney was arrested last week because of his alleged involvement in a scheme to smuggle drug-laced papers into a county jail.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez revealed at a press conference Monday that 77-year-old Ronald Lewis had come to the attention of authorities as the result of an investigation into a rise in suspected drug overdoses among inmates at Harris County Jail, according to ABC News. Two of these overdoses were fatal.
The newly launched jail-based Criminal Investigations and Security Division (CISD) led the probe and received several tips suggesting Lewis was a major supplier of narcotics, said Gonzalez.
Lt. Jay Wheeler of CISD told reporters that the attorney would allegedly visit the jail under the guise of performing his legal duties. During such visits, Lewis allegedly smuggled in sheets of paper that had been coated with ecstasy and synthetic marijuana. Lewis purportedly received between $250 and $500 per transaction.
While under investigation, Lewis was allegedly seen visiting the jail and providing purportedly drug-laced papers to 14 different inmates.
When he was arrested last Friday, Lewis was allegedly carrying 11 sheets of narcotics-laced paper. He was charged with two counts of bringing a prohibited substance into a correctional facility. His bail was set at $15,000, which he has since posted.
“We’re currently working with the Texas Rangers to determine if any of the narcotics introduced in the jail by Mr. Lewis contributed to the death of any inmate,” said Wheeler, per ABC News.
Harris County jail is the largest in Texas, and it has drawn considerable public scrutiny after 27 inmates died while in custody last year. A total of 18 inmate deaths have been logged so far this year, some of which Gonzalez told reporters were believed to have been linked to drugs.
“We’re going to continue to raise the bar and do everything we can to make sure that we’re keeping a safe facility, as safe as possible,” Gonzalez said, per ABC News.
In Dallas, there have been 9,094 drug-related offenses so far this year, according to the City’s crime analytics overview dashboard. This represents a year-over-year increase of 3.6% to date.
Drug violations helped make Council Member Tennell Atkins (District 8) Crime Boss of the Month in October. Drug crimes saw a dramatic increase of 172.7% in the council district year over year, with 90 reports logged last month alone.
The Dallas Police Department has been having a difficult time getting crime under control amid an ongoing staffing shortage that has hampered the department’s crime-fighting ability. While DPD currently has only 3,200 officers in the field, a prior City analysis suggests a city the size of Dallas requires a force of 4,000 to adequately maintain public safety.
