August 21, 2023
(McKinney, Texas) – District Attorney Greg Willis announced that a jury delivered a 55 year prison sentence to the prolific drug dealer, Curtis Richard Hines, 31, of McKinney, Texas, after finding him guilty of Possession with Intent to Deliver Cocaine, MDMA, and THC with a Deadly Weapon. “Poison pushers profiting off of people’s addicted misery are a menace to society. This man has been a notorious and dangerously armed dope dealer throughout the metroplex for the last five years, despite being sent to prison for it once already. This jury’s verdict sends the message that we will not tolerate poison pushers profiting off of ruined lives in Collin County,” said Willis after sentencing.
In fall of 2022, McKinney Police Department narcotics detectives had been conducting surveillance on Hines for suspicion of dope dealing. On November 9, 2022, McKinney PD Officer Cary Wittwer conducted a traffic stop of Hines. Hines consented to a search of his vehicle where multiple bags of marijuana packaged to sell were found.
McKinney PD then executed a search warrant on Hines’ house. Detectives found 275 grams of cocaine, 214 grams of mushrooms, 51 pounds of marijuana, 1,845 grams of THC gummies, 27 grams of THC wax, 63 grams of THC cartridges, 9 grams of MDMA, thousands of baggies, labels, several scales, and 3 cell phones.
Three firearms were also found in his residence, including an Uzi, a short barreled rifle with a high capacity drum magazine, and a handgun. DPS Special Agent Ronnie Rapert completed forensic examinations of the 3 cell phones belonging to Hines and found thousands of photos of drugs, money, and guns. The phone searches also revealed hundreds of text messages of drug dealing throughout the DFW area. Prosecutors presented this voluminous drug dealing and gun evidence, and the jury found Hines guilty.
In the punishment phase, prosecutors showed the jury Hines’ long history of possessing and selling drugs. In August of 2011, Hines was sentenced to probation for possession of less than 1 gram of methamphetamine. But in 2014, Hines violated his probation and was sentenced to 9 months in state jail. Then, in January 2018, Hines was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver, a Third Degree Felony. In April 2018, while on bond for the January 2018 charge, Hines was again arrested for Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance, this time a 2nd Degree Felony. And finally, just one week later, Hines was arrested for two additional charges of Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance, another 3rd Degree Felony and a 1st Degree Felony. For all of those 2018 offenses, Hines was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
After hearing his criminal history and considering the facts of the current charges, the jury sentenced Hines to 55 years in prison.
Judge Michael Chitty presided over the case. Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Molly Matthews and Luke Calhoun prosecuted the case, assisted by District Attorney Investigator Michael Coleman, and Legal Secretary Madeline McGee.
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