Jacksonville, Fla. – A Jacksonville defense attorney, Nathan Williams, was arrested Sunday and accused of smuggling drugs into the Duval County Jail. The arrest was part of a larger investigation, known as Operation Stamp Collection, led by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO), which revealed how drugs were being funneled into the facility.
Williams, 37, is alleged to have exchanged drug-laced paperwork for money, dishonoring his position as a criminal defense attorney. According to JSO, Williams worked with inmates and their family members to smuggle sheets of legal paperwork into the jail. These sheets were soaked with Adb-pinaca, a synthetic marijuana and Schedule One controlled substance, commonly referred to as “paper dope” or “K2.”
The drugs were soaked into paper that could be abused by inmates once inside the facility. JSO claims Williams bypassed the jail’s screening process to deliver these drug-soaked documents to inmates. The sheriff’s office had Williams under regular surveillance both in the Jacksonville area and during his visits to the jail.
Williams has been charged with multiple felonies related to drug trafficking and communication with inmates. This operation has reportedly led to a 61% decrease in inmate overdoses, from 23 in 2023 to 9 in 2024. JSO officials also noted that more arrests are expected as the investigation continues.
Williams, who was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2014 and is a graduate of Florida A&M University, College of Law, has also served in the Army National Guard for 16 years.
JSO Undersheriff Shawn Coarsey commented on the severity of the case, emphasizing that the actions of the attorney deeply disappointed the department. “This agency takes its responsibility very seriously to provide care for those who are detained in the Duval County Jail. That an attorney used the professional access, according to him, to smuggle a controlled substance into the jail is deeply disturbing and disappointing.”
In response to the growing issue of smuggling, JSO has implemented a new policy requiring that any paperwork brought into the jail must be copied by a correctional officer before being handed to inmates, aimed at preventing further incidents like this.
Local defense lawyer Belkis Plata, who had suspected attorneys might be involved in such activities, expressed concern about the implications of the arrest. “As defense attorneys, we’re supposed to have access to our clients 24/7 to provide them with confidential information,” Plata said, emphasizing the dangerous precedent set by this arrest.