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Mother speaks out on Harris County Jail
A Houston mom who's son died while at the Harris County Jail tells us she's concerned about the ongoing allegations at the jail. An attorney has been charged with bringing drug laced papers to the jail and allegedly caused the deaths of inmates. FOX 26's Natalie Hee has more coverage from the newsroom.
HOUSTON - A Houston mom whose son died while at the Harris County Jail tells FOX 26 she's concerned about the ongoing allegations involving an accused drug-smuggling attorney.
For the last four months since her son, 30-year-old Ramon Thomas, died while in custody at the Harris County Jail, Dianne Bailey-Rijsenburg says she's been searching for answers about how her son died.
"They haven’t given us any information. If you call the medical examiner, the autopsy is not ready so there’s nothing," Dianne said.
Dianne says Ramon suffered from bipolar and schizophrenia disorder and was taking medication for those conditions but adds that her son didn't have any other health issues.
On his record in Harris County, Ramon had previously been charged multiple times with trespassing, stealing, evading arrest, and making a terroristic threat.
July 1, hours before authorities say Ramon suffered a medical emergency, Dianne says she got an odd call from her son asking for money.
"The morning before my son died, he called me. I spoke with him for the last time that morning. He was asking for money to send to somebody else. He said ‘Mommy, mommy, can you send money for me real fast?’ He said 'But don't send it to my SPN number, because mine isn’t working.' He said, ‘Send it to another number.’ Somebody took the phone from him, and I said ‘Who’s this?’ They said ‘I’m in the pod with him’," Dianne said.
Their call was cut short and Ramon died later that night at the hospital.
On Tuesday, FOX 26 went by Ronald Lewis’ home to try and get more answers, but no one ever came to the door.
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Lewis is currently out on bond. Harris County Sheriff's deputies say Lewis brought more than 150 drug-laced papers disguised as legal documents to the jail from July through November 2023.
Authorities say the retired criminal defense attorney, who got his bar license in 1982, would receive $200 to $500 in exchange for delivering the drugs.
While Ramon's mom says she doesn't recognize Lewis as someone who’d ever represented her son, his grandmother, Vilma Cohen, said the allegations are concerning.
"In these things, there’s always somebody who contributed to help him to get it in. This is jail. This is jail. If he didn't have somebody to collaborate with him, I don’t think he would’ve reached those people," Cohen said.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said during a news conference Monday that at least one of the three recent deaths at the jail is being investigated for a possible narcotics overdose.
Other attorneys worry the case is going to have severe ramifications.
"This specific situation, I fear is going to radically change the way we have to do things. Those slots are going to be closed, and we won’t be able to pass the paperwork back and forth like we have been and now the attorney-client privilege is going to be somewhat breached," said Chris Tritico, FOX 26's legal analyst.
Court records show Ronald Lewis posted a $7,500 bond over the weekend.
As part of his bond conditions, Lewis is not allowed to visit the jail. The court has also specifically banned him from contacting the loved ones of several victims and witnesses in the case, including the family of Ramon Thomas.
The Texas Rangers are now investigating if the drug-laced papers delivered by Lewis to the jail actually caused the deaths of several inmates. Tritico says if confirmed, Lewis' charges could be upgraded.