Jefferson County Man Guilty of Trafficking Fentanyl

BEAUMONT, Texas - A Beaumont man has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.

Carl Wayne Hite, Jr., 40, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl before U.S. Magistrate Judge Zack Hawthorn on September 18, 2024.

According to information presented in court, on February 20, 2023, a 43-year-old woman died in Port Arthur as a result of fentanyl exposure. An investigation revealed Hite sold drugs to the woman containing fentanyl, resulting in her death. During a search of Hite's residence, law enforcement officers seized various controlled substances, including fentanyl.

Hite faces up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentences prescribed by Congress are provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case is being investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Jefferson County Sheriff's Office; Beaumont Police Department; Port Neches Police Department; Port Arthur Police Department; FBI CAST; Jefferson County Crime Laboratory; and DEA South Central Laboratory. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan C. Lee and Matthew Quinn.