Chicago gang member sentenced to 34 years for 2020 murder

CHICAGO - 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.

The backstory:

Diontae Harper, 25, admitted to killing Paul Harris on May 13, 2020, in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood. According to a plea agreement, Harper and another man opened fire on Harris while he was sitting in a vehicle at a gas station in the 8600 block of South Halsted Street.

Federal prosecutors said Harper committed the murder to elevate his status within the Faceworld gang, a criminal organization based on the city’s South Side known for violence and drug trafficking. While in custody earlier this year, Harper also made threatening statements toward a witness, authorities said.

Harper pleaded guilty in January to a federal charge of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death. U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah handed down the sentence on May 8 in Chicago federal court.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia Schwartz, Sushma Raju and Matthew Moyer. The investigation was led by the FBI’s Chicago Field Office and the Chicago Police Department.

Two others involved in the killing — the second shooter and the getaway driver — have also pleaded guilty to murder in aid of racketeering and are awaiting sentencing.