New evidence shows K2-laced papers smuggled into Harris County Jail; 12 players involved in ring

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - In November, FOX 26 reported on the arrest of a defense attorney and two others accused of smuggling drug-laced papers into the Harris County Jail. 

New documents in the case reveal that the alleged smuggling ring consists of 12 total players, including six inmates and a "paper-maker". 

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Hunter Hays Simmons, 39, an attorney in the Houston area, was arrested along with Tanisha D. Butler, 40, and Joshua J. Piper, 22. All three face charges of engaging in organized criminal activity and prohibited substance in a correctional facility. 

Court records say that on three occasions, authorities seized the drug-laced papers between May and October 2023.

Records show that two of the seizures were inside the jail and taken from convicted murderer Joseph Dunn, who Simmons once represented. 

The records also reveal that Piper is Dunn's nephew. 

The records show photos of the papers. At least 26 can be counted from those photos. 

Though the document names the other accomplices, their identities will remain concealed until charges are officially pressed. 

"Everyone, including an attorney, is entitled to the presumption of innocence, and we don't know where this case is going to go," said FOX 26 Legal Analyst Chris Tritico. 

He says instances like these make it harder for defendants to receive proper representation. 

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"If it's true, it demeans all of us and forces the jail to make even stricter policies on how attorneys can meet with clients, and it was already hard. So, things like this make it even harder for clients to get good quality representation, because of the rules placed on it by the jail," he said. 

This is an ongoing investigation. This article will be updated as it progresses.