Purported Gang Leader Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

April 6, 2010 - MINNEAPOLIS — B. Todd Jones, United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota, announced that a 32-year-old purported leader of the Native Gangster Disciples street gang was sentenced earlier today in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm. In St. Paul, U.S. District Court Judge Patrick Schiltz declared it to be “one of the worst” gun cases he has seen on the bench and sentenced Douglas David Peake to 115 months in prison on one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Peake was indicted on August 20, 2009, and pled guilty on November 23, 2009.

Following today’s sentencing, Bernard J. Zapor, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) said, “Our community is safer due to the teamwork between ATF, the Minneapolis Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

In his plea agreement, Peake admitted possessing on January 1, 2008, two nine-millimeter, semi-automatic pistols. Peake is prohibited under federal law from possessing any firearms at any time because he is a felon. His prior felony convictions occurred in Hennepin County State court, and include terroristic threats (1994), attempted possession with intent to sell a controlled substance (1994), second-degree assault (1996), and felon in possession of a firearm (2002). In the plea agreement, Peake also admitted that between November 13, 2007, and January 1, 2008, he received a total of seven firearms from a third person.

Peake’s conviction was the result of an ongoing U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) investigation into illegal firearms trafficking in the State of Minnesota involving members of the Native Gangster Disciples, a street gang known to possess and traffic firearms.

The federal case was the result of an investigation by the Minneapolis Police Department, the St. Paul Police Department, the ATF, and the Brown, Lyon, Lincoln and Redwood Drug Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven L. Schleicher.

The case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, an initiative launched by the U.S. Justice Department in 2001 to promote a multi-jurisdictional, comprehensive approach to reducing gun crime in America. PSN provides resources to strengthen law enforcement and crime prevention partnerships working to make our streets and communities safer.