Life in prison — that's the fate Billy Arnold, former ringmaster of Detroit's notorious Seven Mile Bloods gang, faces after a federal court handed down its grim verdict. According to FOX 2 Detroit, the 37-year-old was convicted on a lengthy rap sheet including two counts of murder, racketeering, and a bevy of firearms offenses.

In December, a jury found Arnold guilty after a six-week trial which firmly established him at the helm of a violent gang war. As described by the U.S. Attorney's office in a statement, he ruthlessly killed and tried to murder countless rivals, instigating a reign of terror on the city's east side. In what now reads like a twisted badge of dishonor, the gang named their turf '4-8-2-0-Die', a dark twist on their zip code of 48205. The sentence is meant to not just deliver closure to his many victims but to boldly underline that such brutality will face the full weight of justice.

A particularly chilling episode recounted at trial, and reported by the Eastern District of Michigan's U.S. Attorney's Office, involved Arnold lying in wait outside a parole office before pursuing and fatally shooting a rival gang member. This killing accelerated the gang conflict, sparking a vicious cycle of retaliation that would see untold bloodshed, including the serious injury of another in the ambush and a separate incident where a victim was left paralyzed.

Chief among the evidence was a high-speed chase leading to Arnold's arrest, as law enforcement officials miraculously managed to recover an assault rifle from his vehicle used in one murder and multiple shootings. This decisive move signaled the beginning of the end for Arnold, and eventually led to the seizure of over 20 firearms. U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison, in frank testimony, stated the life sentence "sends a message to others. To those who commit acts of violence: We will not stand for it any longer." Meanwhile, FBI's Detroit Division's head, Cheyvoryea Gibson, assured residents that the FBI's Violent Gang Task Force will continue to staunchly address street violence.

The case represents a significant victory for a coalition of law enforcement agencies, including the Detroit Police Department and FBI Violent Gang Task Force, among others. Arnold's conviction is a landmark in their efforts, marking him as the 20th member of the Seven Mile Bloods to be held accountable by the powers of justice. As the case closes, the message rings clear across the streets of Detroit: no act of violence will go unanswered, nor will the community's plea for peace fall on deaf ears.