Alorton Man Pleads Guilty, Faces Possible Life Sentence for Shooting A Federal Witness

Tereze L. Fenderson, age 39, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges that he attempted to retaliate against a witness or informant, unlawfully possessed a firearm as a convicted felon, and discharged a firearm in connection with a crime of violence, Steven D. Weinhoeft, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today.

In early 2015, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives executed a warrant searching for guns and drugs at Fenderson’s Alorton, Illinois home. Fenderson immediately ran into the house and locked the door. The agents ultimately made forced entry into the home and discovered more than four pounds of marijuana, along with a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol. Another 68 pounds of Fenderson’s marijuana was separately recovered from his girlfriend’s house. Officers later seized approximately $13,000 in cash from Fenderson upon his arrest on a federal indictment for unlawful possession of a firearm.

Evidence presented at Fenderson’s plea hearing established that, while out on bond pending trial, Fenderson became convinced that a former drug associate had cooperated against him in the federal investigation. On October 22, 2017, at nearly 1:00 AM, Fenderson located and confronted his former associate on the sidewalk outside a bar on Piggott Avenue, in East St. Louis, Illinois. When a mutual friend interceded and tried to deescalate the situation, the former associate walked around the building and out of sight. Fenderson got back into his car with two other men and drove slowly around the block looking for his former associate. Minutes later, Fenderson found the man hiding near the intersection of 15th and Piggott Streets.

Fenderson stopped the car in the middle of 15th Street, where he and another man in the car opened fire, shooting the victim in the hip and lower leg. The victim sought cover behind a nearby parked car and returned fire from his own handgun. After Fenderson sped away, the victim was rushed to a nearby hospital. The gunshot to his lower leg broke both bones and has required multiple surgeries to repair.

Because of the shooting, Fenderson’s bond was revoked and he was re-arrested on November 2, 2017. He remains in custody. He was later charged in a superseding indictment that added additional charges for witness retaliation and using a firearm during a crime of violence.

Causing bodily injury to a prospective witness is a federal crime that carries up to 20 years imprisonment. Fenderson is also facing up to 10 years imprisonment for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and a mandatory minimum of not less than 10 years and as much as life imprisonment for discharging a firearm in connection with a crime of violence.

Fenderson previously served a six-year prison term in the Illinois Department of Corrections on a 2005 conviction out of St. Clair County for involuntary manslaughter.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 25, 2019, in East St. Louis, Illinois.

United States Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft said, "This case should serve as a warning that federal law enforcement will relentlessly pursue those who embrace the ‘code of the street’ by threatening or retaliating against witnesses. This so-called ‘street code’ is contrary to the most basic tenets of society and is calculated to undermine the rule of law so that violent actors can prey upon the vulnerable in darkness without the fear of getting caught. The public can be assured that law enforcement will do everything in its power to protect witnesses while forcefully prosecuting those who would do harm."

Earlier today, the Attorney General announced that in fiscal year 2018, the Justice Department charged more defendants with violent crimes than in any other year since the Department began tracking the statistic more than 25 years ago – surpassing by nearly 15% the previous record set just last year.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by United States Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft and Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Piper, Jr.