Detroit gang leader sentenced to life in prison for murder, drug trafficking

DETROIT (FOX 2) – A Detroit gang chief obtained a life sentence Tuesday for his position in a homicide and drug trafficking.

Duane Peterson, 38, was the chief of “It’s Simply Us” (IJU), a violent road gang that dedicated crimes in Detroit from 2014 by means of the start of 2019.

In Might 2017, IJU ambushed a 33-year-old Detroit man for allegedly disparaging an IJU affiliate, authorities stated. Peterson chased the person down and shot him at the back of the top whereas the person was on the bottom.

In March 2018, Peterson and one other IJU member opened fireplace on a automotive filled with harmless bystanders who occurred to be stopped at a pink gentle and noticed Peterson beating a feminine in a liquor retailer parking zone.

Authorities stated proof at trial additionally confirmed that Peterson ran a heroin and fentanyl drug conspiracy, with not less than fifteen IJU members and associates distributing the lethal medication in Detroit, Jackson, Flint, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky.

Eight folks had been charged within the case, and 7 beforehand pleaded responsible. Solely Peterson proceeded to trial.

“Because of a crew effort from a number of federal, state, and native businesses, a violent gang chief has been completely faraway from the streets. Violent gang exercise and harmful narcotics trafficking is not going to be tolerated in our group,” U.S. Lawyer Daybreak Ison stated.