Teres Tinnin Sentenced To 15 Years In Federal Prison For Stalking Convictions

WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Teres Tinnin, age 39, was sentenced today to a total of 15 years in prison, 5 years for conspiracy to stalk and 10 years for stalking.  U.S. District Judge Joshua D. Wolson pronounced the sentence.

According to court documents, Tinnin worked with at least five co-conspirators—Ryan Bacon, Donte Sykes, Dion Oliver, Maurice Cooper, and Michael Pritchett—to search for a man, listed in the Indictment as M.S., in an attempt to kill him.  After M.S. and an associate robbed Tinnin and Pritchett on May 10, 2017, Tinnin and others discussed increasing the amount of money they would pay to have M.S. found and killed. 

On June 6, 2017, in furtherance of their continuing pursuit of M.S., Tinnin’s co-conspirators kidnapped M.S.’s girlfriend, Keyonna Perkins, and used her to find M.S.  Perkins was held at gunpoint and forced into the trunk of her car.  A short while later, Tinnin alerted his co-conspirators that he had just seen M.S. walking alongside Route 896 and directed them to his location. 

After locating M.S. along Route 896, Tinnin’s co-conspirators fired multiple shots at M.S., but failed to hit him.  Following the shooting, Perkins was forced into the trunk of a second car and driven by two of Tinnin’s co-conspirators to Elkton, Maryland where she was murdered.

Following the first failed shooting, Tinnin’s co-conspirators continued their pursuit of M.S.  They located M.S. at Probation & Parole Offices in New Castle, and followed him into Wilmington, waiting until M.S. got out of a car around the area of 6^th and Spruce Streets, where one of Tinnin’s co-conspirators again opened fire on M.S.  The gunfire missed M.S., but one of the bullets ripped through a passing SUV and struck a six-year-old boy in the head, causing the child severe and permanent injuries.

Tinnin remained in close contact with his co-conspirators via FaceTime while their violent crime spree unfolded.

Commenting on the case, U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “The defendant and his confederates agreed on a plan to hunt down and kill a perceived enemy with complete disregard for the lives of innocent people who stood in their way.  The defendant may not have pulled a trigger on June 6, 2017, but he bears no less responsibility for the violence he helped set into action.  My office and our law enforcement partners will vigorously pursue all those who bear responsibility for violent crime.”

“The FBI remains focused on protecting our neighborhoods and communities from violence,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “While no sentence will undo his crimes, we thank our partners for their coordination in ensuring that Mr. Tinnin is behind bars where he belongs.”

This case was investigated by FBI’s Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Streets Taskforce, with assistance from the Wilmington Police Department, New Castle County Police Department, Delaware State Police, and the Elkton Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jesse S. Wenger and Eli H. Klein prosecuted the case along with former Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-cr-75.