Beaumont man sentenced to 19 years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl

Published 4:38 pm Friday, July 25, 2025

BEAUMONT– A Beaumont man has been sentenced to 19 years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Carl Wayne Hite, Jr., 41, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 228 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on July 24, 2025.

According to information presented in court, in July 2023, federal narcotics agents in Beaumont initiated an investigation into the suspected drug trafficking activities of Hite.  The investigation revealed that Hite was supplying fentanyl-laced pills on a recurring basis to individuals in Jefferson County.  Federal agents were able to obtain fentanyl-laced pills directly from Hite, at which time Hite was arrested, and a search warrant was executed at his residence. During the search of Hite’s residence, law enforcement seized various controlled substances, including fentanyl. 

This case was 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 was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan C. Lee and Matthew Quinn.