SAFE STREETS SUSPECT GIVEN 16-YEAR TERM

Federal Prosecutors Chop More Than 10 Years Off Federal Sentence Guidelines

PEORIA - A Chicago man was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison after
pleading guilty to drug dealing charges.

Tracy Summers, 22, could have had it a lot worse. Federal sentencing
guidelines had him pegged to receive 27 to 33 years in prison. Prosecutors
asked the judge for a lesser sentence, and, afterwards, declined to say why.

U.S. District Judge Michael Mihm noted Summers' extensive criminal
background and how he had apparently joined a gang at the age of 11.

"It is amazing to me that someone at the age of 22 could create such a
negative profile," Mihm said before sentencing Summers.

On March 26, Summers pleaded guilty to distributing cocaine. Other charges
that dealt with drug dealing were dropped by prosecutors as a condition of
the plea agreement.

After he is released from jail, Summers will spend 8 years in supervised
release - the federal version of probation. His arrest was in conjunction
with Operation Safe Streets, dubbed one of the most successful coordinated
efforts by area law enforcement departments against drugs and gangs since
the first one, Operation Iron Eagle, was launched 13 years ago.

Whereas other efforts took aim at dismantling the leadership of street
gangs here, particularly the Gangster Disciples, officers involved with
Safe Streets have arrested scores of low-to mid-level street dealers, as
well as upper echelon dealers, officials have said.