A 43-year-old Delaware man, Dion Oliver, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for his participation in a deadly street feud linked to a drug kingpin. This feud tragically resulted in the kidnapping and murder of a woman and the shooting of a young child. Oliver received a mandatory life sentence for kidnapping resulting in death, along with a 20-year sentence for conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and five years each for stalking and conspiracy to commit stalking. Prosecutors emphasized the gravity of his actions, stating his blatant disregard for human life.

Oliver's co-defendant, Dontae Sykes, also faced a mandatory life sentence after pleading guilty to kidnapping resulting in death. However, Sykes received a significantly reduced sentence of less than 16 years due to his cooperation with the prosecution. Oliver's defense argued that the mandatory life sentence was unjust, citing erroneous jury instructions and the fact that Oliver wasn't present during the murder of Keyonna Perkins. A previous plea agreement that would have dropped the kidnapping charge against Oliver and resulted in a 27½-year sentence was rejected by a judge.

The complex case revolves around a long-standing feud between drug kingpin Dwayne White and a former associate, Markevis Stanford. Oliver and Sykes were associated with White. Another co-defendant, Ryan Bacon, had publicly antagonized Stanford in rap songs, referring to him as a "rat." The feud escalated in 2017 when Stanford allegedly hired someone to assassinate Bacon. The attempt was unsuccessful. Subsequently, Stanford's girlfriend, Perkins, became a target as the defendants attempted to locate and kill Stanford. On June 6, 2017, Oliver abducted Perkins at gunpoint and confiscated her cell phone. Later that day, after failed attempts to shoot Stanford, Oliver shot at him again, inadvertently hitting 6-year-old Jashown Banner, who was sitting in a nearby car. The child suffered permanent injuries.

Perkins was tragically kidnapped, transported to Maryland, and murdered on the same day. White later attempted to bribe Jashown’s family to protect Pritchett, another individual involved in the shooting. White was ultimately sentenced to over 45 years in prison on various charges including racketeering, drug dealing, and money laundering. Several other co-defendants have also received sentences for their roles in the conspiracy, including Pritchett (25 years), Bacon (30 years), and Tinnin (15 years). Charges against another co-defendant, Maurice Cooper, were dropped due to his existing 75-year sentence. Sykes' girlfriend, Jaclyn McCain, received a sentence of time served for lying to the FBI and obstructing the investigation.