From Handguns To Paintbrushes

"Though Jeff de Leyer has never written before, he has a compelling voice and style, a talent for drawing vivid characters and description, and creating tension and momentum. And he has an amazing story." -Christine Stewart

A Memoir detailing his life of crime and poor choices, with a truly unbelievable love story, that may reduce you to tears.

Jeff de Leyer is the grandson of a Dutch immigrant and equestrian champion, Harry de Leyer. This in itself, created an impression of a young man born into a world of privilege and entitlement. However, this could not be any further from the truth. His biological mother and father abandoned him on a doorstep when he was only three years old, leaving him with a void that was nearly impossible to fill. Jeff spent his teen and young adult years on the streets of New York making a name for himself as a drug dealer. This is where he not only found acceptance, but also a sense of family he so desperately wanted and needed.

In 1998 at 21 years of age, Jeff was arrested and later convicted of a gang-related murder, after a drug deal went horribly wrong. In prison, he was a high-ranking member of the United Blood Nation, involving him in gang wars, fights, and riots. Rock bottom came years later at the age of 39. At this point, the only thing he was looking for was redemption. He decided it was time to walk away from the only life he had ever known.

This is the compelling and true story of the rise and fall of a New York Ecstasy Kingpin. It is an eye-opening excursion through the pulse of the drug world, street life, drug addiction, prison, art and true love. Through his passion for art, desire for education and love, he rose above his circumstances to embrace a new vision of the world around him.

My name is Jeff de Leyer and I am 40 years old. I hand wrote my life story from a Maximum-Security prison cell where I am being held in segregation because I can no longer get along with the men in the Gang I was once the leader of. I made up my mind to change my life for a new start and this put a target on my back. This isn’t who I am anymore. I want to be able to look in the mirror and be proud of who I see. I ran the streets and took a man’s life over money and I cannot change this. I am the one who messed up my life and this is a difficult reality to accept. People fear men like me, but I have learned fear is only for a minute but love is forever. The sad reality is, I could have done anything with my life, yet I chose to chase a dream that only works out in the movies. There is no happy ending to a life of crime in real life. This book may seem like I am glorifying my life as a criminal, but this isn’t the case. My story is about a man who had to finally grow up because my reality became a million pounds that I was forced to carry on my shoulders. Most of the people I have spoken of end up dead in one way or another. It took many years, but I finally changed. Art has had a huge impact on my change and growth. I spent so many years of my life destroying everything I touched, it is finally amazing to be able to create. Although art changed my life, the woman I love, saved my life.