Fort Worth resident Melvin Matthews has been ordered to serve 40 years in state prison after a narcotics case that prosecutors say uncovered thousands of fentanyl pills, other drugs, and a gun, and ultimately cost him his probation.
According to a post from the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office on X, Matthews was convicted of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, had his probation revoked and was sentenced to 40 years. Prosecutors said Fort Worth narcotics officers seized more than 5,000 fentanyl pills, about 20 grams of cocaine and a firearm during a July 16, 2024 search of his apartment. Matthews was later arrested in February 2026 on charges that included possession of fentanyl and cocaine.
Thanks to the Fort Worth Police Department and its Narcotics Section for their work on this case and their commitment to keeping our community safe. pic.twitter.com/dIcmxf3qjo
— Tarrant County DA (@TarrantCountyDA) May 5, 2026
Seizure and charges
The case landed with prosecutors in the DA's narcotics unit, part of a broader effort the office launched to target fentanyl-related and other high-impact drug prosecutions. The DA has spotlighted similar cases and publicly thanked local police units that assist with drug investigations, presenting it as a coordinated push between prosecutors and law enforcement to go after alleged dealers rather than just street-level users, per the Tarrant County District Attorney.
Why prosecutors called it serious
Public health data cited by prosecutors help explain the focus on fentanyl supply. Tarrant County recorded about 185 fentanyl-involved overdose deaths in 2023, and synthetic narcotics ranked among the leading drugs in local overdose reports. as per the Tarrant County Public Health.
State officials have also launched public-awareness and enforcement efforts, including Texas’ “One Pill Kills” campaign, to underscore how a small amount of illicit fentanyl can be deadly. The mix of local overdose trends and statewide messaging is the backdrop for prosecutors’ emphasis on large seizures like the one tied to Matthews.
Legal consequences
Prosecutors said Matthews was first placed on probation in 2021 and violated the terms of his supervision multiple times. The court ultimately revoked that probation and imposed the 40-year sentence, a result that shows how judges can respond when someone already under supervision is accused of returning to the drug trade with sizable quantities of narcotics.
Defense arguments, the judge’s full reasoning and the formal judgment are detailed in court records, which serve as the official legal account of the case. In its public statement, the DA’s office thanked the Fort Worth Police Department’s Narcotics Section for its work and framed the outcome as one more effort to keep dangerous drugs off local streets.
