Derrick Thompson sentenced in federal court on gun, drug charges

Victims' families speak after Derrick Thompson found guilty

The families of the five women who were killed in a crash caused by Derrick Thompson, spoke after Thompson was found guilty. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty spoke along with them.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A federal court has sentenced Derrick Thompson for gun and drug convictions years after he caused a crash that killed five women in Minneapolis.

READ MORE: Derrick Thompson to spend 37 years in prison for crash that killed 5 young women

Federal court sentences Derrick Thompson

By the numbers:

Thompson was sentenced to 171 months, or about 14 years, for gun and drug crimes in federal court.

He was sentenced to almost 59 years in Hennepin County Court last year and will likely spend 37 of those years behind bars.

The gun and drug convictions came after police recovered a handgun and drugs in the rental vehicle he was driving at the time of the crash. 

The backstory:

In documents filed ahead of Thompson's sentencing in Hennepin County Court, prosecutors asked a judge to hand down five consecutive sentences for Thompson, totaling 704 months, or nearly 59 years in prison.

The judge agreed, sentencing Thompson to 704 months for the deaths of five women between the ages of 17 and 20 years old. Their names are Sabiriin Mahamoud Ali, Siham Ada Odhowa, Sahra Liban Gesaade, Sagal Burhaan Hersi, and Salma Mohamed Abdikadir. 

Thompson had 767 days of credit for time already served, and Minnesota law allows a third of a sentence to be served on supervised release. 

The defense filed separate arguments, asking for a judge to opt for concurrent sentences – meaning each sentence would be served at the same time. The defense suggested a sentence in the 268 to 335 month range, or between 22 and 27 years. Attorneys said that sentencing length had been discussed prior to federal authorities bringing charges against Thompson.