Drug offender finally caught after skipping sentencing 11 years ago

Rashaan Paris sentenced to 4 years in prison

DETROIT – He might have thought the justice system had forgotten about him, but after more than a decade, the law has caught up with Rashaan Paris.

Paris was supposed to show up for sentencing on a drug offense 11 years ago. He didn't show up, but he didn't leave town, either. Police eventually caught up with him in Detroit.

Police working the Yacama Avenue corridor, a Detroit neighborhood in desperate need of help, said abandoned homes there are magnets for dangerous criminals. Paris was one of numerous crack dealers swept up by Detroit police and federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

In an effort to clean up the neighborhood, police are beefing up patrols and going after small-time operators. Paris once robbed a man who lay bleeding on the floor after being shot in the store robbery, police said.

"I think most people would think this was reprehensible behavior," Local 4 legal analyst Keith Corbett said.

In federal court, officials said Paris dodged court dates for more than a decade. His excuse was that nobody came looking for him.

The judge wasn't impressed with the excuse, and Paris was sentenced to four years in prison.

You can watch Kevin Dietz's full story in the video posted above.


About the Authors:

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.