A Hewitt man was sentenced Friday to 15 years in federal prison for supplying fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills connected to a nonfatal overdose in Denton County.
Thomas James Hurtt, 33, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Judge Michael Truncale sentenced Hurtt to 180 months in prison on September 4, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas.
Victim Recovered After Receiving Naloxone
The case began on February 21, 2024, when officers with the Cross Roads Police Department responded to a reported overdose in Denton County.
The victim was treated with naloxone, an opioid-overdose reversal medication, and transported to a hospital. The victim eventually recovered, according to information presented in court.
The subsequent investigation identified Hurtt as the supplier of the counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, federal prosecutors said. The Justice Department did not identify the victim or disclose what legitimate medication the pills were designed to resemble.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Cross Roads Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson prosecuted it.
Counterfeit Pills Can Resemble Prescription Drugs
Illegally manufactured fentanyl is frequently pressed into pills made to resemble legitimate medications, including oxycodone and alprazolam, commonly sold under the brand name Xanax, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
People consuming counterfeit pills may not know they contain fentanyl because the substance cannot be detected by sight, smell, or taste.
The DEA’s One Pill Can Kill campaign warns that consumers cannot reliably determine whether a pill is legitimate by examining it. The agency advises taking only medications prescribed by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist.
The DEA reported that fentanyl seized by the agency during 2026 represented more than 240 million potentially deadly doses as of August 31. The agency states that 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be enough to kill an average person.
Naloxone can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose by attaching to opioid receptors and blocking the effects of opioids. The medication can restore normal breathing when an overdose has caused a person’s breathing to slow or stop, according to the DEA.
Part Of Federal Enforcement Initiative
Prosecutors said Hurtt’s case was part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Justice Department initiative that directs federal resources toward combating cartels, transnational criminal organizations, illegal immigration, and violent crime.
The sentence follows another Eastern District of Texas fentanyl prosecution previously covered by The Dallas Express.
In that case, Andrew Michael Smith of Denison received a life sentence after a federal jury convicted him of possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute and dispense it, resulting in the death of 20-year-old Macie Joe Chastain.
Prosecutors said Smith supplied Chastain with fentanyl and methamphetamine and recorded her deteriorating condition for hours before contacting emergency responders. Chastain was pronounced dead after authorities arrived.
Provided by Dallas Express
