Man involved in street fued that led to woman's death, shooting of 6-year-old in Delaware gets life in prison

FILE - Police lights are shown in a close up image. (Credit: FOX TV Stations) DOVER, Del. - A Delaware man was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for his role in a street feud involving a drug kingpin that resulted in the kidnapping and slaying of a woman and the shooting of a 6-year-old boy.Dion Oliver, 43, was sentenced to the mandatory life term after he was convicted in federal court of kidnapping resulting in death.

He was also sentenced to 20 years for conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and five years each for stalking and conspiracy to commit stalking."His behavior demonstrates he does not value human life," prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum.One of Oliver’s codefendants, Dontae Sykes, also faced a mandatory life term after pleading guilty to kidnapping resulting in death, but he was sentenced earlier this year to less than 16 years in prison after testifying as a government witness.

Federal law allows a judge to deviate from the mandatory sentence if a defendant provides substantial assistance to prosecutors.Oliver’s defense attorney argued in her sentencing memorandum that a mandatory life sentence for him was unjust, and that the underlying conviction resulted from erroneous jury instructions.

She also noted that, unlike Sykes, Oliver was not present when Keyonna Perkins was killed.PREVIOUS: Suspect facing state, federal charges who was mistakenly released turns himself inA judge last year rejected a plea agreement that dropped the kidnapping charge against Oliver and called for him to serve 27½ years in prison.Oliver and Sykes were among several men tied to drug kingpin Dwayne White, who had engaged in a yearslong feud with a former affiliate, Markevis Stanford.