Houston mother says son referred to as hours earlier than loss of life, requested to ship cash to a different inmate in jail
HOUSTON – A Houston mother whose son died whereas on the Harris County Jail tells FOX 26 she’s involved concerning the ongoing allegations involving an accused drug-smuggling lawyer.
For the final 4 months since her son, 30-year-old Ramon Thomas, died whereas in custody on the Harris County Jail, Dianne Bailey-Rijsenburg says she’s been trying to find solutions about how her son died.
“They haven’t given us any info. Should you name the medical expert, the post-mortem will not be prepared so there’s nothing,” Dianne mentioned.
Dianne says Ramon suffered from bipolar and schizophrenia dysfunction and was taking medicine for these circumstances however provides that her son did not have every other well being points.
On his document in Harris County, Ramon had beforehand been charged a number of occasions with trespassing, stealing, evading arrest, and making a terroristic menace.
July 1, hours earlier than authorities say Ramon suffered a medical emergency, Dianne says she obtained an odd name from her son asking for cash.
“The morning earlier than my son died, he referred to as me. I spoke with him for the final time that morning. He was asking for cash to ship to someone else. He mentioned ‘Mommy, mommy, are you able to ship cash for me actual quick?’ He mentioned ‘However do not ship it to my SPN quantity, as a result of mine isn’t working.’ He mentioned, ‘Ship it to a different quantity.’ Someone took the telephone from him, and I mentioned ‘Who’s this?’ They mentioned ‘I’m within the pod with him’,” Dianne mentioned.
Their name was lower quick and Ramon died later that evening on the hospital.
On Tuesday, FOX 26 glided by Ronald Lewis’ house to attempt to get extra solutions, however nobody ever got here to the door.
Lewis is at present out on bond. Harris County Sheriff’s deputies say Lewis introduced greater than 150 drug-laced papers disguised as authorized paperwork to the jail from July by means of November 2023.
Authorities say the retired prison protection lawyer, who obtained his bar license in 1982, would obtain $200 to $500 in trade for delivering the medication.
Whereas Ramon’s mother says she would not acknowledge Lewis as somebody who’d ever represented her son, his grandmother, Vilma Cohen, mentioned the allegations are regarding.
“In these items, there’s all the time someone who contributed to assist him to get it in. That is jail. That is jail. If he did not have someone to collaborate with him, I don’t assume he would’ve reached these individuals,” Cohen mentioned.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez mentioned throughout a information convention Monday that no less than one of many three current deaths on the jail is being investigated for a doable narcotics overdose.
Different attorneys fear the case goes to have extreme ramifications.
“This particular scenario, I worry goes to seriously change the best way we’ve to do issues. These slots are going to be closed, and we received’t be capable of go the paperwork backwards and forwards like we’ve been and now the attorney-client privilege goes to be considerably breached,” mentioned Chris Tritico, FOX 26’s authorized analyst.
Court docket data present Ronald Lewis posted a $7,500 bond over the weekend.
As a part of his bond circumstances, Lewis will not be allowed to go to the jail. The courtroom has additionally particularly banned him from contacting the family members of a number of victims and witnesses within the case, together with the household of Ramon Thomas.
The Texas Rangers are actually investigating if the drug-laced papers delivered by Lewis to the jail really triggered the deaths of a number of inmates. Tritico says if confirmed, Lewis’ expenses may very well be upgraded.
