Mark Lowe, a 24-year-old from Detroit, Michigan, has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute significant quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl. He admitted to his involvement in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) active in the Huntington area.
As per court documents, Lowe's activities spanned from September 2023 to November 2023, during which he distributed drugs in various locations in the Southern District of West Virginia. An arrest on September 9, 2023, caught Lowe and his associate, Paul Anthony Rucker, while transporting fentanyl and methamphetamine. Law enforcement seized approximately 149 grams of fentanyl and 222.62 grams of methamphetamine during the traffic stop on Interstate 64 in Cabell County.
Lowe is set to be sentenced on July 28, 2025, facing a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, along with potential supervised release and fines. Rucker, now 47, was previously sentenced to six and a half years in prison followed by supervised release.
In total, 27 individuals were indicted for their involvement with the DTO transporting drugs from Detroit to Huntington and other areas in West Virginia. Among them, Lowe, Rucker, and 22 other defendants have entered guilty pleas, with trials pending for the remaining individuals.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston, who praised the efforts of federal and local law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the case, and it is prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, which focuses on dismantling major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations threatening U.S. public safety and security.
