by: Sam Charles
Posted:
Updated:
This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.
CHICAGO —Federal prosecutors in Chicago secured guilty verdicts Tuesday against two men tied to a slew of violence on the city’s West Side over the course of two decades.
Jurors at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse returned guilty verdicts against Donald Lee and Torance Benson, two higher-ups in the Wicked Town faction of the Traveling Vice Lords gang.
Lee was found guilty of committing three murders and supplying the weapons used in three more killings, while Benson was found guilty of one murder and three other nonfatal shootings, according to federal prosecutors.
Lee and Benson were two of 13 people initially charged in the conspiracy, though their 11 co-defendants all pleaded guilty before trial. The indictment, handed up in late 2021, accused Wicked Town of committing 19 murders and 19 more attempted murders between 2000 and 2020.
Speaking to reporters at the courthouse Tuesday, John Lausch, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, said:
“It takes a long time to put a case together like this, but when you’re able to learn about multiple acts of violence that are committed by a group — and it’s done either to protect and promote particular criminal activity they have or retaliation for other crimes that are committed — it allows us to see the full picture and it allows us to reach a greater breadth of people who are ultimately responsible.”
A sentencing date for Lee and Benson has not yet been scheduled, though each faces a mandatory life sentence.
Stanley’s new Heat Wave Quenchers just dropped on…
Host an effortless Fourth of July party with these…
The best tubing mascaras for longer lashes
View All BestReviews
Close
Subscribe Now
trending
Watch: Baby moose saved from lake as mom looks on
DWI vs. DUI: Is there a difference?
Georgia woman granted dying wish to visit Graceland
Amazon ditching air pillow packaging for recycled…
Sabrina Carpenter announces ‘Short n’ Sweet Tour’
Megan Thee Stallionto replace Tyler, the Creator…
McDonald’s reveals items in new $5 Meal Deal
Rapper Travis Scott arrested in Florida
Summer solstice to be earliest in 228 years
Timberlake’s attorney speaks out after DWI arrest
View All Trending
Sports
Angel Reese sets WNBA rookie record for double-doubles
Bulls trade Alex Caruso to the Thunder, AP source…
NCAA presents options to expand March Madness tournaments…
Browns player crashes SUV into Florida restaurant:…
White Sox, Astros play series rubber match
Hendricks delivers throwback performance for Cubs
View All Sports
Latest Videos
2 women shot, 1 fatally, near 31st Street Beach
Sabrina Carpenter announces 2024 ‘Short n’ Sweet…
Body of missing boater recovered from Lake Michigan
Illinois bill could make it a felony to fly American…
Thursday Evening: Partly cloudy with showers, storms
Retired Chicago police officer, 73, shot and killed…
Chicago’s heat wave requiring firefighters to be…
Alderman considers ‘swift changes’ after 31st Street…
Johnson, immigration advocates celebrate Biden executive…
Retired Chicago police officer, 73, shot and killed…
Girls killed in Lake County jet ski accident identified
Chicago expanding program that pays gunshot victims…
Protecting your skin from the sun: Why a daily dose…
Retired Chicago police officer, 73, shot and killed…
Midday Fix: Cabinet of Curiosity’s Pedal Powered…
A bit more from Cabinet of Curiosity’s Pedal Powered…
Lunchbreak: Country Ham and Collard Roasted Oysters
Angel Reese Posts Another Double-Double in Sky’s…
Man rescued from water tower after reported medical…
Donald Sutherland, the towering actor whose career…
More Videos
Newsfeed Now
Back-to-back hurricanes more likely to happen: Study
Al-Qaida chief’s ‘pattern of life’ was key to death
Hospital bills $847 ‘facility fee’ for Zoom call
What’s next in ‘unprecedented’ case of truck driver…
Could new DNA tech crack the JonBenet Ramsey case?
Newsfeed Now: President Trump campaigns in NC; Presidential…
Newsfeed Now: Trump campaigns in PA; Changes to Thursday’s…
Alabama man meets long-lost brother through DNA test
Friends call 911, save life of 69-year-old California…
Trick-or-treating banned: Los Angeles announces strict…
State police returning to Portland following deadly…
U.S. Coast Guard honors 9-year-old for saving father’s…
Nev Schulman of MTV’s ‘Catfish’ leaves generous,…
“I hope one of y’all pick me,” 9-year-old boy desperately…
Which face masks are most, least effective at stopping…
Man who shot Denver officer and escaped prison in…
WATCH: Celebration of life for Rep. John Lewis continues…
Oklahoma woman shot multiple times after being dared…
Lawmakers face pressure to change Mississippi state…
Experts hail swift moves in wake of Atlanta police…
‘I’d fight tooth and nail for him’: Florida man fights…
Video shows Chicago police ‘lounging’ in congressman’s…
TV helicopter crew spots, rescues missing swimmer…
Arkansas man delivers donuts to officers during protests
COVID-19 has potential to spread during protests,…
COVID-19 has potential to spread during protests,…
WATCH: ‘Agitator’ apprehended by protesters, handed…
View All Newsfeed Now