Houston Attorney Charged with Smuggling Drugs into Jail
Jason Terrell Johnson, a prominent Houston defense attorney, found himself on the other side of the courtroom as he faced serious charges of organized crime, providing a prohibited substance in a corrections facility, and witness tampering. The allegations stemmed from an incident where Johnson was accused of smuggling synthetic marijuana to a client during a court hearing with the assistance of the client’s fiancé.
According to court documents, Johnson and his client used coded language in monitored jail calls to orchestrate the delivery of drugs disguised as power of attorney documents. Prosecutors claimed Johnson received an additional $2,000 for facilitating this illegal transaction.
During a press conference following the court hearing, prosecutor Kimberly Smith expressed concern over the risks associated with such actions, stating, “This attorney is making a buck at the risk of a life, an inmate dying in the Harris County Jail. Inmates are dying. That is a fact. We all know it.”
Despite the charges against him, Johnson’s defense attorney, Vikram Vij, maintained that some of the accusations were untrue and that Johnson was upset about the situation. Interestingly, the client and his fiancé cooperated with the investigation and were not charged in connection with the case.
Johnson’s arrest brought to light the efforts of Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, who established the Criminal Investigations and Security Division to combat the influx of drugs and contraband into the jail. This initiative included measures such as drug-sniffing dogs, enhanced screenings, and other preventative strategies following multiple inmate deaths due to fentanyl overdoses.
Following Johnson’s arrest, the Texas State Bar refrained from making any specific comments on the matter without a public sanction or court hearing outcome.
Previous Cases of Drug Smuggling in the Jail
Johnson’s case was not the first instance of a Houston attorney being accused of smuggling drugs into the jail. Ronald Lewis, a 77-year-old attorney, faced similar charges last November for providing drugs to inmates. Additionally, former jailer Robert Robertson was arrested on organized crime charges after smuggling marijuana and synthetic marijuana-laced papers into the jail for sale.
In a separate incident, murder suspect Joshua Sinclair Owens was charged with money laundering profits earned from selling drugs to fellow inmates. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg revealed that Owens orchestrated the drug sales through paper transfers and family members transferring money from his account to his commissary account.
With drug-related incidents continuing to pose challenges within the Harris County Jail, officials are taking proactive measures to prevent further occurrences and ensure the safety and security of inmates and staff.