PHILADELPHIA - Matthew Lowry, 33, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for various crimes arising from his stealing drug evidence while working as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI"). Lowry pleaded guilty, on March 31, 2015, to 20 counts of obstruction of justice, 18 counts of falsification of records, 13 counts of conversion of property, and 13 counts of possession of heroin. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas F. Hogan, in the District of Columbia, also ordered two years of supervised release, a $15,000 fine, and a $5,425 special assessment. As a result of Lowry’s criminal activity, numerous federal investigations were compromised and convicted criminals were released from prison.
Lowry was assigned to a task force that investigated narcotics trafficking and violent gang activity, occurring in and around Washington D.C. and Prince George’s County, Maryland. From approximately July of 2013 through September of 2014, the defendant stole, from FBI custody, at least 20 bags of heroin (some containing hundreds of grams) that he and other agents had seized during the course of five large-scale investigations. The defendant kept the heroin in his government-issued car, in some instances for as long as several months, and he periodically ingested it, often while he was on duty. Before returning the heroin into evidence, the defendant calculated the quantity he had used and replaced it with a different substance, either a weightlifting supplement, Creatine, or a laxative, Purelax. To further conceal his misconduct, the defendant falsified evidence and chain of custody records, including by backdating them and forging his fellow agents’ signatures.
The matter was referred to the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, which conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation as requested by the OIG. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin R. Brenner and Maureen McCartney.
Because Lowry’s investigations, as an agent, occurred within the District of Columbia and the districts surrounding it, those offices were recused by the Department of Justice.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
