Dawon Hennings Sentenced

A St. Louis felon has been sentenced to 100 months in prison for being caught twice with guns and drugs. Dawon Hennings, 40, pleaded guilty in March to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Hennings was first caught by Saint Louis County Police Department officers on April 12, 2022, during a special enforcement detail within the North County Precinct. Officers had spotted a Kia Optima without a front license plate and pulled the vehicle over, finding a 9mm handgun and methamphetamine in Hennings’ possession.

After Hennings was indicted and a warrant was issued for his arrest, detectives with the St. Louis County Police Department saw him walking on Lookaway Drive in St. Louis County on Dec. 26, 2022. Detectives arrested Hennings and found a stolen Glock .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol in his pocket, as well as a baggie containing meth and another containing a small amount of a mixture of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl.

The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke prosecuted it. U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp sentenced Hennings to 100 months in prison on Monday.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence. The program aims to make neighborhoods safer for everyone by fostering trust and legitimacy in communities, supporting community-based organizations, and setting focused enforcement priorities.

The Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy in May 2021, strengthening PSN based on core principles such as fostering trust and legitimacy in communities, supporting community-based organizations, and measuring results. The strategy aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make neighborhoods safer for everyone.

The sentencing of Dawon Hennings serves as a reminder of the importance of Project Safe Neighborhoods and the need for continued cooperation between law enforcement and the community to reduce violent crime and gun violence. By working together, we can make our neighborhoods safer and more secure for everyone.