22-Year-Old Austin Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Death

AUSTIN, Texas - An Austin man was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.

According to court documents, Keithrick Carter, 22, was a drug dealer who primarily sold blue "M30" fentanyl pills and marijuana. On March 23, 2023, a 24-year-old male living in Leander was found deceased in his apartment. In the man's bathroom, Leander Police found an unlabeled pill bottle containing one blue "M30" pill and some marijuana. The autopsy and toxicology determined the cause of death as "drug toxicity: fentanyl." A review of the deceased man's phone revealed a text exchange between the victim and Carter.

An investigation by the Austin Police Department confirmed that Carter was dealing fentanyl in the form of blue "M30" pills. Carter was indicted for one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death on May 6, 2025. He was arrested on May 21, 2025, and pleaded guilty on Feb. 19, 2026. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman sentenced Carter on June 24.

"This administration has made clear that protecting Americans from the fentanyl crisis is a national priority, and we are at the front of that fight every day in this district," said U.S. Attorney Simmons. "Keithrick Carter knowingly sold poison in a pill bottle to a young man in our community. He was held directly responsible for that young man's death and will now spend the next 20 years of his life in federal prison. However, no measure of manmade justice can assuage the pain felt by the victim's family in this case. The best we can do is to remove the defendant from society so that he cannot inflict the same level of grief on any other families in our community. I'm proud of AUSA Keith Henneke and our law enforcement partners for making that happen in this case."

"Fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing our nation, devastating families and claiming the lives of young people across the country," said Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration San Antonio Division, Miguel Madrigal. "That is why the DEA remains committed to holding those who traffic this deadly substance into our communities accountable and to protecting the safety and well-being of our citizens."

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Leander Police Department, and the Austin Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Henneke prosecuted the case.

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