Federal prosecutors say a coast-to-coast drug pipeline did not rely on cartels at the border, but on office supplies in the mailroom.
A federal grand jury has returned a three-count indictment charging Adell Willis, 43, of Lewisville, and Judy Ly, 30, of Grand Rapids, in an alleged scheme to smuggle synthetic drugs into correctional facilities by soaking them into sheets of paper. The pair is accused of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute synthetic drugs and conspiracy to possess contraband in prison, and Ly faces an additional count of possession with intent to distribute.
According to prosecutors, the operation began in March 2023 and involved synthetic opioids, synthetic cannabinoids, stimulants, and other controlled analogues that were allegedly converted to liquid and used to saturate paper. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum statutory sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison.
As outlined by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Texas, prosecutors say Willis bought the synthetic drugs from China and had the shipments routed to addresses in both Texas and Michigan. From there, investigators allege, Willis and Ly turned the materials into a liquid mixture, soaked them into sheets of paper, and prepared them for delivery into prisons.
The case was also reported by Tampa Free Press, which notes that the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration are leading the investigation alongside federal prosecutors. That outlet also reports the prosecution is being pursued under a Department of Justice initiative called Operation Take Back America.
How the scheme allegedly worked
The indictment alleges that, once they received the synthetic drugs, Willis and Ly “would convert the drugs to a liquid before soaking sheets of paper in the drug mixture,” then allow the paper to dry. Those pages, now allegedly carrying the drugs, were then mailed or delivered to inmates at correctional facilities around the country.
Investigators say the treated paper made its way into multiple federal and state institutions, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The method, if proven, basically turns ordinary mail into a contraband delivery system that can be hard to spot without close inspection or testing.
Federal push and penalties
Prosecutors classify the case under Operation Take Back America, a broader DOJ effort targeting cartels and transnational criminal organizations, with the FBI and DEA listed as the lead investigative agencies in the matter.
If convicted, each defendant faces up to 20 years in federal prison, according to CBS News Texas.
What happens next
A federal indictment is only a formal accusation and does not constitute evidence of guilt, and both Willis and Ly are presumed innocent unless and until proven otherwise in court, as Tampa Free Press notes.
Court records indicate the indictment was returned this week, with initial appearances and further proceedings to be scheduled by the federal court in the Eastern District of Texas. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Noble is listed as the prosecutor handling the government’s case.
Similar cases and why it matters
The alleged paper-soaking technique tracks with other recent incidents where contraband has been hidden in or disguised as legal mail, raising ongoing concerns about how prison correspondence is screened and how to protect both staff and inmates from tainted materials.
For a look at how prosecutors say similar methods have been used elsewhere, see Hoodline’s coverage of a legal mail drug plot at DC jail.
