HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — An already incarcerated man and two of his family members are facing charges for allegedly selling drugs inside the Harris County jail and laundering money.
During a news conference on Tuesday, District Attorney Kim Ogg and Kimberly Smith, a prosecutor with the DA’s public corruption division, announced new charges of engaging in organized criminal activity against 35-year-old Joshua Sinclair Owens, his stepsister Lativia Armiss Bailey, 31, and his cousin Nathanael Campbell, 42.
“(Owens) is currently making thousands upon thousands of dollars in the Harris County jail smuggling, distributing, and selling drugs within the jail,” Smith stated.
Owens, who has been incarcerated since 2022 on multiple violent charges, including murder, was found with papers soaked in synthetic marijuana during a cell search in March 2024, according to charging documents.
Investigators began monitoring recorded calls from Owens’ jail cell, uncovering Bailey and Campbell’s involvement. Smith explained that Owens sold the drug-soaked papers to other inmates, who paid through a CashApp account managed by Bailey and Campbell. The funds were then transferred to Owens’ commissary account.
“When he first entered the jail as an inmate with $200 in his commissary, from October 2023 to June 2024, he was able to make a revenue of over $28,000,” Smith noted.
Smith indicated that the investigation is ongoing and more charges may be filed.
In November 2023, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez announced enhanced protocols to prevent drugs from entering the jail, including restricting attorneys from bringing outside legal paperwork and transitioning inmate mail to a digital system. However, Owens’ alleged activities persisted beyond these changes.
The sheriff’s office, which led the investigation, has been closely monitoring commissary accounts and implementing measures to minimize or eliminate inmates’ ability to profit from criminal activity. A spokesman mentioned that the office is continuously assessing protocols and procedures to enhance security.
In November 2023, attorney Ronald Lewis, 77, was charged with two counts of possessing a prohibited substance in a correctional facility. He was found with 11 sheets of paper suspected to be soaked in drugs during a jail visit. Additionally, detention officer Robert Robertson, 24, was arrested the same month for allegedly selling drugs to inmates.
Ogg clarified that these two cases are unrelated to Owens’ case.
Owens, Bailey, and Campbell each face up to life in prison for engaging in organized criminal activity.
