Houston, TX — The Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) arrested 39-year-old defense attorney Hunter Simmons this morning for smuggling drug-laced papers into the jail facility.
The HCSO Human Trafficking Unit initiated an investigation into suspected drug smuggling activities within the Harris County Detention Facility stemming from an unrelated human trafficking investigation.
Investigators continued to gather evidence and identified Simmons as a possible accomplice in this smuggling operation. Simmons was suspected of delivering drugs to his client, an inmate.
Last week, the investigation culminated in the recovery of several sheets of paper laced with synthetic marijuana.
Investigators also identified 40-year-old Tanisha Denise Butler. Joshua Jovan Piper, 22, would also assist by delivering the drugs from the manufacturer to Simmons.
Simmons, Butler and Piper were charged with Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity and Prohibited Substance in Correctional Facility facing two to twenty years in prison.
The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are possible.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez created the Criminal Investigations and Security Division in 2023 to rid the distribution of deadly drugs and contraband into the jail. Enhanced safety measures such as metal detectors, drug-sniffing dogs and improved screening processes for employees and visitors have been implemented to help improve security measures.
Mugshot of Hunter Simmons
Mugshot of Tanisha Denise Butler
