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New Haven resident Tyjon Preston pleaded guilty to a racketeering offense related to his role in the violent Exit 8 street gang within the city, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced on Thursday, April 25.
According to federal officials, Preston's guilty plea followed an effort to address violence in New Haven that involved an investigation into an ongoing gang war between members and associates of the Exit 8 street gang and rival gangs in the city's Hill section.
According to the investigation, it was found that the Exit 8 gang, named after the Exit 8 area of Interstate 91 in New Haven, was involved in drug trafficking, gun usage and sharing, as well as committing at least three murders and 16 attempted murders since June 2018.
The gang members were also known to steal vehicles, even from outside of Connecticut, and use them while carrying out violent acts, as per the officials' statement.
One of these alleged incidents happened in August 2020, when Preston helped steal a Cadillac Escalade from a Westport driveway on Richmondville Avenue. He was later arrested following a police pursuit, according to Westport Police.
On Wednesday, April 24, Preston pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity and admitted to his role in:
- Attempting to kill a rival gang member and shooting him in the leg with other Exit 8 members on April 27, 2021;
- Conspiring to kill rival gang members with other Exit 8 members, including one who was shot and killed on May 19, 2021, by another member;
- Shooting and attempting to kill rival gang members with other Exit 8 members on May 20, 2021;
- Shooting and killing a 22-year-old woman on July 5, 2021, after she made a rap song with derogatory comments about Exit 8.
When he is sentenced, Preston faces a maximum term of life in prison. Under the terms of a binding plea deal though, all parties have agreed that a sentence of between 22 and 30 years is appropriate if accepted by the court.
Preston has been in prison since May 22, 2021.
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