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Feds to Seek Death Penalty in Detroit Gang Case

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The U.S. Justice Department says it will seek the death penalty if a Detroit man is convicted of gang-related killings.

The government filed a notice Monday in the case of Billy Arnold. He's known as "B-Man" and "Killa" and is described as a key member of a gang called the Seven Mile Bloods.

Michigan doesn't have the death penalty, but it's a possible sentence in federal court. A jury makes the determination, not a judge.

In Grand Rapids federal court, Marvin Gabrion was sentenced to death for killing a woman in 1997 in a national forest. His appeals haven't been exhausted.

Federal death penalty cases carry significant costs. Defendants get additional lawyers and other specialists at public expense.

Arnold has pleaded not guilty.

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