Divaunte Kartrell Young Sentenced to 15 Years for Gun Threat

MINNEAPOLIS – Divaunte Kartrell Young, age 24, has been sentenced to a staggering 180 months in federal prison following his conviction for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon. The verdict was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.

In a chilling display of brazenness, Young threatened a Rochester woman with a gun and attempted to bribe her out of accountability. According to Thompson, ‘Career criminals are not in charge of Minnesota.’ He added, ‘Acts of violence and corruption like this will always end the same way—with years in federal prison.’

The incident unfolded in Spring 2023 when Young ran errands with his victim, who had recently met him. At the end of the day, Young demanded a ride to the Twin Cities, but the victim refused. In a terrifying turn of events, Young revealed he had a gun and threatened to shoot her, causing her to flee in fear.

The woman called police, leading to Young’s arrest. Officers found him asleep in his car with a Taurus nine-millimeter handgun. While awaiting trial, Young tried to obstruct justice by urging the victim to lie and attempted to bribe her with money.

Young has a disturbing criminal history, including felony convictions for domestic assault, aggravated robbery, burglary, and assault of a corrections officer. He was on probation in four separate cases before absconding from supervision.

Judge Eric C. Tostrud sentenced Young to the maximum term, noting his ‘deeply troubling’ history and characteristics, stating that he is ‘a great danger to the public.’ Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan B. Gilead, David B. Green, and Ruth S. Shnider prosecuted the case.