A Chicago man was sentenced to 34 years in federal prison for fatally shooting another man to bolster his standing in a violent street gang..
Diontae Harper, 25, has admitted to killing Paul Harris on May 13, 2020, in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood. According to the plea bargain, Harper and another man opened fire on Harris while he was seated in his vehicle at a petrol station in the 8600 block of South Halsted Street.
According to federal authorities, Harper committed the murder to advance his status within the Faceworld gang, a criminal organization centered on the city’s South Side that is infamous for violence and drug trafficking. While in detention earlier this year, Harper made threats against a witness, according to officials.
Harper pled guilty in January to a federal charge of discharging a firearm during a violent felony that resulted in death. On May 8, U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah handed down the sentence in federal court in Chicago.
Assistant United States Attorneys Julia Schwartz, Sushma Raju, and Matthew Moyer handled the prosecution of the case. The FBI’s Chicago Field Office and the Chicago Police Department jointly led the investigation.
Two other people engaged in the killing, the second shooter and the getaway driver, have pleaded guilty to murder in aid of racketeering and are awaiting sentence.
