YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office is objecting to the parole of Dejuan Pegram, who was convicted of Rape, Murder, Felonious Assault, Attempted Aggravated Murder, and Kidnapping. Pegram was sentenced to an indefinite 15-50-year term, plus 6 additional years for the firearm specifications.
In July of 1993, Pegram was a co-defendant in a shooting and a rape case. Pegram’s co-defendants testified that he was involved in the shooting of a home in Youngstown on the city’s south side. They also testified that in the early hours of the next morning, Pegram also held his victim at gunpoint as he raped her, beat her, and shot her. In February of 1995, a jury found Pegram guilty on all six counts including two counts of Rape with and attached firearm specification to both of those counts, one count of Kidnapping with an attached firearm specification, one count of Felonious Assault with a firearm specification, one count of Attempted Aggravated Murder with a firearm specification and one count of improperly discharging a firearm into a habitation.
Since being incarcerated, Pegram was denied parole in 2024 and has multiple rule violations, with several occurring in the past 10 years. Pegram’s infractions include possession of prohibited material, stalking, and physical altercations. Defendant’s history in the DRC provides no assurances that he will follow the rules of his release and the laws of this State if he is paroled. The Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office is objecting to Pegram’s release due to the nature of the defendant’s rape and attempted murder and his behavior while incarcerated. For all of these reasons, Prosecutor Lynn A. Maro strongly objected to the release of Dejuan Pegram.
