Third Lows Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Fentanyl and Firearms
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on October 21 that Cartrelle Smith, also known as "Poo Moe," a member of the Lows gang in Minneapolis, pleaded guilty that day before U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz to taking part in a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy. U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota announced the plea.
Smith is one of 14 defendants in U.S. v. Alowonle et al. (24-cr-293) and the third to plead guilty; Deontae Jackson pleaded guilty on April 3, 2026, and Damari Douglas on July 17, 2026. Smith's sentencing will be set at a later date, and he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Prosecutors say the Lows gang has existed in Minneapolis since about 2004, primarily in north Minneapolis, and that from about 2009 through at least August 20, 2025, Smith and others acted as members of and associates with the gang. The enterprise is alleged to have engaged in murder, attempted murder, narcotics distribution, robbery, carjacking, and firearms trafficking, using intimidation, threats, armed retaliation, and social-media taunting to maintain its territory. Smith admitted the conspiracy involved at least 129.1 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl.
According to court documents, Smith arranged to sell fentanyl on at least two occasions between April and July 2023. On July 28, 2023, officers executing a search warrant at a residence in Plymouth, Minnesota, found 42 M-30 fentanyl pills in his pocket and a Glock 19 handgun fitted with an automatic conversion device, known as a "switch," and an extended magazine on the ground next to his cellphone.
"This defendant chose to traffic harmful drugs and contribute to a violent criminal enterprise. My office has an unwavering commitment to hold him and every member of this enterprise accountable," U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen said. The case was investigated by the ATF, FBI, DEA, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, and other federal, state, and local partners.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于 Minneapolis 的 Diana E. Murphy 联邦法院。Tony Webster 摄，CC BY 2.0，取自维基共享资源。Photo: Diana E. Murphy U.S. Courthouse in Minneapolis. Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
