HOUSTON — A Houston attorney who was previously arrested and accused of smuggling drugs into jail is now charged with possession of child pornography.
Jason Johnson turned himself in last night. He's being held at the Harris County Jail. He's due in court on Thursday.
Johnson was in court last month after he was charged with engaging in organized criminal activity and tampering with a witness.
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Now, he's facing a new charge. Investigators said Johnson had 22 digital images of children engaging in sexual contact, including some of one of his relatives.
During their investigation into the original case, law enforcement officials said they found the images after seizing his electronic devices.
Johnson was initially arrested and accused of sneaking papers laced with synthetic marijuana into the Harris County Jail. According to court documents, he would deliver the papers to clients during court proceedings.
Johnson's arrest came a year after Sheriff Ed Gonzalez established the Criminal Investigations and Security Division to help stop drugs and other contraband from entering the jail. Gonzalez made the move after multiple inmates died from fentanyl drug overdoses. The new division includes drug-sniffing dogs, heightened screenings and other measures.
Other cases involving drugs smuggled into jail
Johnson is the second Houston attorney recently charged with smuggling drugs into the jail. Last November, 77-year-old Ronald Lewis was charged with providing drugs to inmates.
Former jailer Robert Robertson, 24, was also arrested last November on organized crime charges. The sheriff said Robertson smuggled papers laced with marijuana and K-2 synthetic marijuana into the jail and sold them for up to $1,500.
This summer, a murder suspect in the Harris County Jail was charged with money laundering the profits he made from selling drugs to other inmates, according to Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg.
Joshua Sinclair Owens, 35, was jailed on a murder charge and five other felonies.
Ogg said Owens sold drug-laced papers to other inmates and then had family members transfer the money from his CashApp account to his commissary account.