A Gulf Shores attorney has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges he smuggled synthetic marijuana into the Monroe County Detention Center.

Michael Santos, a criminal defense attorney, signed a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorneys Office under which he pleaded guilty to one count of providing prison contraband. In exchange, prosecutors will drop any remaining charges.

According to federal court documents, Santos worked with an inmate at the Monroe County jail to smuggle pieces of paper soaked in “spice,” a synthetic marijuana, into the prison, which the inmate would then sell for profit.

In February 2022, Santos visited the inmate (unnamed in court documents) in an attorney visiting room at the jail. Corrections officers had searched the inmate prior to the meeting and found no contraband.

After the meeting, however, the inmate was searched again, with corrections officers finding papers inside his socks. The papers were sent for a toxicology test and came back positive for synthetic cannabinoid.

Surveillance video from inside the room where Santos and the inmate met show Santos handing the inmate pieces of paper, which the inmate then placed in his socks.

After the discovery, Santos was taken into custody and prison officials notified federal agents. A search of Santos’ vehicle uncovered items including prepackaged baggies containing tobacco, phones, charging cables and other items “consistent with contraband smuggling.”

One phone recovered contained text messages linking Santos to contraband smuggling.

Under federal sentencing guidelines, Santos faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison and up to a $100,000 fine.