The leader of Detroit’s “It’s Just Us” (IJU) street gang, Duane Peterson, was convicted by a federal jury Friday on charges of racketeering, drug trafficking, and murder. He now faces a mandatory life sentence.
The specific charges for which Peterson was convicted are “engaging in a racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and narcotics trafficking conspiracy involving over one kilogram of heroin,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan (USAO-EDMI).
The IJU gang, founded by Peterson and his brothers, operated from 2014 to 2019 by “engaging in violent acts — including murder and attempted murder — obstruction of justice, and witness intimidation.