Evergreen Reporter

A man from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison for his involvement in drug trafficking. Kijana Stephaun Lowe, 27, received the sentence on March 12, 2025, which includes an additional five years of supervised release. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti.

United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV handed down the sentence following Lowe's conviction. According to court information, Lowe was part of a drug trafficking organization investigated by federal, state, and local law enforcement under the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program in Beaver County.

The investigation revealed that Lowe coordinated with an inmate at State Correctional Institution Phoenix to obtain kilogram quantities of cocaine and fentanyl. The inmate would instruct a co-defendant to deliver these substances to Lowe, who then supplied them to another co-defendant for distribution.

In November 2021, authorities uncovered plans for a delivery of cocaine to Lowe in Western Pennsylvania. On November 8, 2021, surveillance at Pittsburgh's Greyhound Bus Station observed two co-defendants leaving with suitcases and entering a vehicle driven by a third co-defendant. This vehicle was followed to a motel in Coraopolis.

Lowe was also tracked from his home to the same motel where he met with the co-defendants and accepted one suitcase from them. Law enforcement detained those involved and executed search warrants on the suitcase, motel room, and Lowe’s vehicle. Nearly 10 kilograms of cocaine were found in the suitcase and over $280,000 intended for purchasing cocaine was discovered in Lowe’s vehicle. Cell phones seized during this operation contained communications and photographs related to their drug activities.

Before sentencing Lowe, Judge Stickman highlighted the significant amount of drugs linked to him as detrimental to the community. He denied Lowe’s request for his federal sentence to run concurrently with a recent parole revocation for previous drug crimes stating that he “do(es) not get a free crime.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kara Cotter. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti praised the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and Drug Enforcement Administration for their role in investigating and prosecuting Lowe and his associates.