An FBI agent who was supposed to be upholding the law was busted on 64 counts in a drug tampering case after he stole heroin from investigations and overdosed in an unmarked police car . Matthew Lowry , 33 , a heroin-addicted former special agent in the Washington field office tampered with hundreds of grams of heroin seized during drug investigations in 2013 and 2014 . He was investigated by the Department of Justice after he was found slumped over and unconscious in his unmarked FBI vehicle from a heroin overdose on September 29 . Car : Matthew Lowry , formerly a special agent with the agency 's Washington field office was investigated after he was found unconscious in his unmarked FBI vehicle , pictured , on September 29 after overdosing on heroin . Heroin : Bags of heroin , pictured , were recovered from the FBI agent 's vehicle where he kept drugs in his car for weeks or months , and used it periodically . According to authorities , Lowry , a married father of one , allegedly took drugs that had been processed as evidence , removed heroin from evidence bags , and then added a cutting agent to account for the missing weight . He used a dietary supplement or a laxative as the cutting agents . Lowry then kept the bags of heroin in his car for weeks or months , and used it periodically , according to charging documents filed in federal court in Washington , D.C. , on Friday . His crimes were fueled by an addiction to prescription painkillers , but his dishonesty botched dozens of cases involving suspected drug traffickers in multiple states . In one case , charges were dropped against 14 defendants suspected to be involved with a large-scale drug-trafficking organization that was the subject of a major FBI investigation in California . The investigation included court-ordered wiretaps , physical surveillance and numerous controlled drug buys , time-consuming and costly investigative techniques . Theft : Documents revealed that Lowry took heroin he got during controlled buys as part of FBI investigations . Attorney : Robert Bonsib said Lowry will plead guilty to 64 charges of obstruction of justice , heroin possession and conversion of property . He could face at least seven years in prison . Additionally , his actions caused federal prosecutors to dismiss charges against at least 28 defendants in drug cases . They also had to notify 150 more that Lowry had participated in investigations targeting them . Attorney Robert Bonsib said Lowry will plead guilty to 64 charges of obstruction of justice , heroin possession and conversion of property . He could face at least seven years in prison . Meanwhile , documents revealed that the former FBI agent took heroin he got during controlled buys as part of FBI investigations . Evidence : Lowry removed small amounts of heroin from evidence packages to self-medicate his health issue known as ulcerative colitis . Bonsib said in each of 20 incidents involving evidence tampering , Lowry removed small amounts of heroin from evidence packages to self-medicate his health issue known as ulcerative colitis . One of Lowry 's doctors had prescribed him powerful pain medications without warning him of how addictive they were , Bonsib said . When his doctor left the practice without notice , Lowry tried to kick the addiction but it was 'overpowering ' and the pain from his medical condition was 'unbearable . ' Bonsib added : 'Mr Lowry recognizes the importance of taking full responsibility for each of his acts and he also recognizes the need to account to the public for his misconduct . ' 'He is devastated by the consequences of his conduct , particularly as it has affected the drug investigations that he , his fellow law enforcement officers , and prosecutors had spent so much time developing and pursing . ' 'The fact that his conduct has damaged the ability of some of those investigations to be successfully prosecuted is contrary to everything he trained himself for and believes in , ' he said . Bonsib described the night Lowry was found unconscious in his car as a 'turning point . ' He immediately met with prosecutors and investigators to help investigate his conduct . He also sought treatment for his addiction . The case is being prosecuted by federal attorneys in Pennsylvania . Lowry wanted to be a law enforcement officer to follow in the footsteps of his father , a narcotics investigator for Prince George 's Police and assistant chief of Anne Arundel County Police .
Matthew Lowry , 33 , a former special agent tampered with FBI drugs cases . He stole bags of heroin during investigations in 2013 and 2014 . He kept heroin in his car for weeks or months , and used it periodically . Comment: Lowry caused prosecutors to dismiss charges against 28 drug defendants . His crimes were fueled by an 'addiction to prescription painkillers ' Lowry will plead guilty to 64 charges and could face seven years in prison .