A man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for stalking charges.
Teres Tinnin received five years for conspiring to stalk and 10 years for stalking, according to a March 1 news release. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Joshua D. Wolson.
“The defendant and his confederates agreed on a plan to hunt down and kill a perceived enemy with complete disregard for the lives of innocent people who stood in their way,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David C. Weiss said in the release.
In an effort to find a man identified as M.S., Tinnin collaborated with Ryan Bacon, Donte Sykes, Dion Oliver, Maurice Cooper and Michael Pritchett, the release reported. After a May 10, 2017, robbery by M.S. and a companion, Tinnin and others talked about increasing the sum of money they would pay to have M.S. tracked down and killed.
Keyonna Perkins, M.S.' girlfriend, was abducted June 6, 2017, by Tinnin's accomplices as part of the ongoing search for M.S., according to the release. Perkins was held at gunpoint and forced into the trunk of her car.
Soon after, Tinnin informed his accomplices he had recently seen M.S. walking alongside Route 896 and gave them directions to where he was, the release said. Tinnin's accomplices found M.S. along Route 896 and fired several rounds at him, but they missed. After the gunshot, two of Tinnin's accomplices put Perkins into the trunk of another vehicle and drove her to Elkton, Md., where she was killed.
After the initial shooting attempt failed, Tinnin's accomplices pursued M.S., the release reported. When M.S. got out of a car around Sixth and Spruce streets, one of Tinnin's accomplices once more fired at M.S.
They tracked M.S. down at the probation and parole offices in New Castle and followed him into Wilmington, according to the release. M.S. was not hit by the bullets, but a 6-year-old boy was severely and permanently injured when one of the bullets burst through an SUV and struck him in the head. While their violent crime spree was taking place, Tinnin used FaceTime to be in close contact with his accomplices.
“The defendant may not have pulled a trigger on June 6, 2017, but he bears no less responsibility for the violence he helped set into action,” Weiss said in the release. “My office and our law enforcement partners will vigorously pursue all those who bear responsibility for violent crime.”
