A federal records request asks the DEA to account for who holds lawful authority to prescribe and dispense controlled substances inside Williamson County Jail.

By LeRoy Nellis
Austin, Texas

A Freedom of Information Act request filed with the Drug Enforcement Administration seeks every federal record connected to controlled substance registration, prescribing authority, and regulatory oversight at Williamson County Jail in Georgetown, Texas. Submitted under 5 U.S.C. § 552, the request names the facility at 306 W 4th St, Georgetown, TX 78626 and covers the period from January 1, 2023 through the present. It is published here as a preserved public record.

The filing is grounded in what it describes as documented concerns involving medical administration, delegation authority, and compliance with federal controlled substance laws. In a detention facility operated by government, those concerns sit close to constitutional questions: the care people receive while held, and whether the medications given to them were prescribed and dispensed under lawful authority, are matters the public has a right to see on the record.

The Filing

The request is addressed to the DEA FOIA/Records Management Section at 8701 Morrissette Drive, Springfield, VA 22152, and signed by LeRoy Nellis of 4845 Twin Valley Dr., Austin, TX 78731. It asks for copies of all records held by the DEA relating to controlled substance registrations, prescribing activity, delegation authority, and any investigative or regulatory action involving the individuals and entities it lists.

Who the Record Names

Two physicians are named by their Texas license numbers. Dr. John Mark Janes, MD, is identified under Texas License H8939. Dr. Henry L. Higgins, MD, is identified under Texas License L6232. The request also asks the DEA to identify any additional physicians whose DEA number is registered at, delegated to, or used by Williamson County Jail or its medical contractor, and any APRNs, EMTs, or other medical staff granted authority — explicitly or implicitly — to issue or administer controlled substances within the jail.

This request is based on documented concerns involving medical administration, delegation authority, and compliance with federal controlled substance laws.

What the Request Seeks

For each individual or entity listed, the request asks for nine categories of records:

- DEA registration applications, including Form-224 filings and renewals - DEA registration status, restrictions, suspensions, or actions - ARCOS reports reflecting controlled substance activity - DEA Form-222 or digital controlled substance orders - Any suspicious activity reports or compliance flags - All DEA investigations, notes, audits, or inquiries involving Williamson County Jail, the Williamson County Sheriff's Office, and jail medical staff or contractors - All correspondence between the DEA and Williamson County personnel - Any delegation or supervisory authority filed with the DEA regarding mid-level practitioners such as APRNs and PAs - Any records showing controlled substances prescribed, dispensed, administered, or ordered under these DEA numbers at the jail

Fees and Disposition

The request covers January 1, 2023 through the present. It seeks a fee waiver on the ground that the matter concerns significant public interest related to medical care in a government-operated detention facility, and states that the requester is an individual who agrees to pay up to $25.00 in fees unless otherwise notified. Electronic records are requested by email.

What the Record Shows

The document is published as part of a FOIA request DEA records archive, preserved to ensure transparency, accountability, and continuity of public records related to detention facility medical operations, and it points to the DEA Diversion Control Division as the relevant authority. As it stands, the record is a formal request, not a finding. It establishes that someone has asked the DEA to account for who holds authority to prescribe and dispense controlled substances inside Williamson County Jail, and to produce the paper trail showing whether that authority was registered, delegated, and supervised as federal law requires. What the DEA discloses — and whether the records that come back match the authority the jail has claimed — is the open question this filing puts before the public.