BEAUMONT, Texas — A 66-year-old Beaumont man is headed to federal prison to serve just over four years for dealing fentanyl.
Harry Francis Lowenthal, 66, of Beaumont, was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, after he pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute it according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Texas.
Lowenthal was arrested following an investigation into fentanyl distribution by Beaumont Police, Jefferson County deputies and agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to the news release.
When he was arrested police found he had a white powdery substance and he later admitted to having cocaine and fentanyl and selling heroin, the release said.
When police searched Lowenthal's residence they found a gun, $5,000 in cash and a small amount of suspected heroin and fentanyl the release said.
Some of what police found, including plastic baggies, a digital scale and lactose powder commonly used to "bulk up" drugs are "indicators of drug trafficking," according to the news release.
A lab analysis confirmed that Lowenthal had approximately 19 grams of a fentanyl/heroin mix.
“Fentanyl, even in small amounts, is a potent synthetic opioid, approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs in the news release.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy L. Coleman prosecuted the case with assistance from the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office.
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
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