Man sentenced for lying about LSP gang activity

AKRON — A defendant who admitted lying under oath in a Youngstown street gang case has been sentenced to three years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge David D. Dowd Jr. imposed the sentence today on Marquise J. Wilkins, 24, of Youngstown, who had earlier pleaded guilty to perjury and obstruction of justice.

Wilkins gave sworn testimony in the June LSP gang jury trial that was inconsistent with his sworn testimony a year ago before a federal grand jury, the U.S. Attorney said.

Four Youngstown men convicted of conspiracy to commit racketeering in that trial were sentenced last month to a combined total of nearly 119 years in federal prison.

LSP, which stands for LaClede, Sherwood, Princeton and Parkview avenues, was a gang that was active from 2003 to 2011 in the Idora Neighborhood on the city’s South Side, the U.S. Attorney said.