Carl J. Hurst, Fentanyl Importation, Louisiana 2019

New Orleans, LA – In a shocking turn of events, CARL J. HURST, the alleged drug kingpin, pleaded guilty last Friday, May 31, to charges related to the distribution of deadly fentanyl. The 35-year-old New Orleans resident admitted to conspiring with others to import kilos of acetylfentanyl, a potent fentanyl analogue, from Chinese manufacturers.

Hurst’s conspiracy involved ordering up to 9 kilograms of the drug between 2014 and 2015. He and his co-conspirators then distributed the substance mixed with heroin or as a standalone product across New Orleans, contributing to the city’s opioid crisis.

U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that Hurst faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, with a possible life sentence hanging over his head. Additionally, he could be fined up to $10,000,000 and face at least five years of supervised release upon his release from prison.

The charges stem from an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which collaborates between federal, state, and local agencies to combat drug trafficking. The OCDETF’s efforts have been pivotal in dismantling major drug trafficking organizations across the nation.

U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle will sentence Hurst on October 23, 2019. U.S. Attorney Strasser commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Orleans Police Department for their diligent work in this case, with Assistant United States Attorneys Brandon Long and Nicholas Moses leading the prosecution.

Related Federal Cases