Judge imprisons Moon man for role in distributing 'staggering' amount of drugs

Carrying a Marshalls shopping bag stuffed with cash, Kijana Lowe left his Moon residence on the morning of Nov. 13, 2021, according to a federal affidavit.

He drove to a Motel 6 in Coraopolis, parked his rental car near the motel entrance and flashed his headlights. A male met him, and the two headed into Room 209. It was 7:36 a.m.

Lowe emerged 17 minutes later with a guy carrying an orange suitcase. As they walked back to Lowe’s car, law enforcement intercepted them.

Narcotics agents had Lowe under surveillance the whole time.

Inside the suitcase, they found nearly 10 kilograms of cocaine, seized from what the Drug Enforcement Administration described as an interstate drug ring operating in and around Aliquippa. They also confiscated more than $280,000 in cash from Lowe.

On Wednesday, Lowe, 27, was sentenced in federal court in Pittsburgh to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty in October to drug trafficking and conspiracy.

U.S. District Judge William Stickman IV said the amount of fentanyl and cocaine that could be attributed to Lowe was “staggering,” according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Stickman told Lowe the drugs were poisoning the community, according to the news release.

Narcotics investigators began working the case several months before Lowe’s arrest.

In August 2021, law enforcement learned that a drug ring was importing heroin, fentanyl and cocaine from New York City and Philadelphia to Beaver County.

Lowe would order drugs from an inmate in Montgomery County, who would arrange a delivery, federal prosecutors said. He would supply the drugs, in turn, to another person, who would sell them to users, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Investigators tapped Lowe’s cellphone, according to court documents, and discovered calls from inmates at various state prisons.

Lowe received three calls between Nov. 7 and Nov. 8, 2021, from an inmate in State Correctional Institution Phoenix in Montgomery County.

Investigators did not identify the inmate.

These calls detailed negotiations of the purchase of “white cars” and “black cars” — code words, according to a DEA agent, for kilograms of cocaine, heroin or fentanyl.

Lowe and the inmate negotiated a sales price: $28,500 per kilogram or “car,” the affidavit said.

Three days later they exchanged phone calls regarding a pending deal for 10 kilograms.

Law enforcement conducted surveillance at the Greyhound Bus Station in Downtown Pittsburgh on Nov. 8, 2021.

Investigators watched two people leave the bus station with suitcases and get in a vehicle driven by a third person, according to federal prosecutors. They headed to the Motel 6.

After Lowe was detained, investigators got search warrants for cellphones belonging to Lowe and one of the other people.

They said they found communications and photographs about their drug trafficking.

Court documents show Lowe grew up rough in Aliquippa.

His mother was addicted to crack cocaine, his father was incarcerated and he and his siblings went into foster care, according to court papers filed by one of Lowe’s lawyers.

Lowe was introduced to “heavy drugs” at an early age by a cousin and has struggled with addiction since, court documents said.

Lowe is also facing state charges of involuntary manslaughter for an assault that led to the death of Ayo Genes in Sept. 2021 in Aliquippa, according to TribLive news partner WTAE.