Chicago Man To Serve Three Consecutive Life Sentences For Danville Murders Related To Drug-Trafficking

Urbana, Ill. – U.S. District Judge Michael P. McCuskey today ordered a Chicago man to remain in prison for life. Freddell Bryant, 34, was convicted in December 2012 for using a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime that resulted in the deaths of three people in Danville, Ill., nearly six years ago. Bryant, also known as “Freddy Moe,” was ordered to serve three life prison sentences consecutive to each other and consecutive to the 25-year federal prison term he is currently serving for his role in the underlying cocaine and crack cocaine distribution conspiracy.

On Dec. 10, 2012, a jury convicted Bryant for causing the deaths on Mar. 27, 2007, of Rodney Pepper, 30; Madisen E. Leverenz, 19; and Tabreyan L. McCullough, 21. During the trial, the government presented evidence that on March 24, 2007, Bryant learned that multiple kilograms of cocaine that he had McCullough hold for him had been taken from her Danville home. On March 25, 2007, Bryant and others took McCullough to an apartment at 1707 East Main Street to confront Leverenz and Pepper, whom Bryant believed were involved in taking the cocaine. Further evidence was presented that during the ensuing confrontation, Bryant used and carried a firearm during and in relation to the drug conspiracy and that he used the firearm which resulted in the murder of Pepper, Leverenz and McCullough.

In March 2009, Bryant pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine in Vermilion County from October 2003 to March 2007. Bryant was sentenced on Apr. 29, 2010, to serve 300 months (25 years) in federal prison. Bryant has remained in federal law enforcement custody since his arrest in Chicago in May 2007.

The charges were investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Danville Police Department, the Vermilion County Metropolitan Enforcement Group, and the Illinois State Police. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eugene L. Miller and Jason M. Bohm. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois, Urbana Division, in cooperation with the Vermilion County State’s Attorney’s office.