Retired Houston legal professional allegedly killed two inmates with drug-laced papers: officers

A retired Houston space legal professional is on the opposite facet of the regulation, accused of allegedly delivering drug-laced papers to the Harris County Jail and inflicting the dying of two inmates, in response to Harris County authorities. 

Officers say Ronald Lewis, 77, is now going through two expenses of getting a banned substance in a correctional facility. 

Authorities stated Lewis had 11 sheets of paper in his possession when he was arrested on Friday, November 17 on the Harris County Jail.

These papers at the moment are being examined by the Texas Rangers for affirmation of narcotics, officers stated.

In response to courtroom paperwork, at the very least two inmates died because of the substances that Lewis allegedly introduced into the jail and a number of other different inmates reported having extreme uncomfortable side effects.

“The laced sheets of mail have been usually disguised as authorized mail or different types of authorized paperwork. Inmates would pay the attorneys $200 to $500 to usher in the laced papers,” stated Harris County Sheriff’s Workplace Lt. J Wheeler throughout a press convention. 

Courtroom paperwork recognized the substance as methoxy dimethyl oxobutane.

“Mr. Lewis visited 14 inmates from July 2023 till November 2023. Through the investigation, roughly 154 sheets of paper have been believed to be laced with narcotics and confiscated,” Lt. Wheeler continued. 

In response to a prosecutor with the Harris County District Lawyer’s Workplace, the connection between the inmates and Lewis is unclear. 

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tells Fox 26 he created a process power to combat crime and harmful narcotics contained in the jail in March after receiving backlash for a rise in jail deaths.

Gonzalez added that the jail has additionally tightened plenty of safety measures, together with including three drug sniffing canine and implementing stricter protocols for jail mail. 

In response to Harris County authorities, 27 inmates died in 2022 and to date, 19 have died in 2023. 

Jail data present that Lewis posted a $7,500 bond on Saturday and, as a part of his bond circumstances, he’s banned from visiting anybody on the jail whereas the case is pending.