An Orange, Texas resident, Lawrence Duguett Hardin, Jr., has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his involvement in a fatal fentanyl overdose in East Texas. The sentence was delivered by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone after Hardin, aged 39, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
On August 17, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to an overdose death in Humble, Texas. An autopsy confirmed the victim died from fentanyl toxicity. Investigations revealed Hardin supplied the fentanyl responsible for the death. A search at his Orange residence uncovered 365.2 grams of a fentanyl-containing substance.
In response to an increase in fentanyl-related fatalities, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a Public Safety Alert. It warns of a rise in fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, coinciding with the DEA's One Pill Can Kill Public Awareness Campaign. This initiative seeks to educate the public about counterfeit pills' dangers and stresses taking only medications prescribed and dispensed by licensed professionals. The campaign highlights a surge in fake pills produced by drug networks, marketed as legitimate prescriptions, and causing deaths at an unprecedented rate. Further details can be accessed at https://www.dea.gov/onepill.
The case was handled by several agencies, including the DEA, FBI, and local police departments, with prosecution by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Lee and Rachel Grove.
