Detroit gang leader sentenced to life in prison for racketeering, murder
(CBS DETROIT) - A 38-year-old Detroit man is sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday for multiple crimes including murder, racketeering, narcotics trafficking.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Duane Peterson led the It's Just Us street gang in May 2017 when they ambushed a 33-year-old man for allegedly disparaging an IJU associate. Federal officials say Peterson chased the man down and shot him in the back of the head.
Officials say in March 2018, Peterson and another gang member fired shots at a car full of people who stopped at a red light and witnessed Peterson beating a woman in a parking lot. Additionally, Peterson ran a drug conspiracy with at least 15 other members and distributed heroin and fentanyl in Detroit, Jackson, Flint, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky.
Eight people, including Peterson, were charged, with seven of them pleading guilty and Peterson proceeded with a trial.
"Thanks to a team effort from multiple federal, state, and local agencies, a violent gang leader has been permanently removed from the streets. Violent gang activity and dangerous narcotics trafficking will not be tolerated in our community," U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said in a press release.