Dazmine Erving, Gun Possession, Peoria IL, 2023

PEORIA, IL – Dazmine M. Erving, 32, of Peoria, Illinois, is headed to federal prison for 65 months after being sentenced on September 6, 2023, for illegally possessing a firearm. The case highlights the revolving door of justice for repeat offenders and the continued flow of stolen weapons onto Peoria’s streets.

The bust unfolded on September 14, 2022, when a Peoria Police officer spotted a suspicious SUV backed into a parking space at River Front Park after closing hours. Inside, Erving was found with a juvenile female who had an outstanding warrant. The smell of marijuana hung in the air, but it was the discovery of a loaded, stolen semiautomatic pistol on the floorboard where Erving had been sitting that sealed his fate. The weapon held eight rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber – ready to fire.

This wasn’t Erving’s first dance with the law. He was already on federal supervised release stemming from a previous conviction for – you guessed it – possessing a firearm as a felon. The current charge, coupled with violating the terms of his supervised release, landed him a combined sentence of 65 months. U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid stacked a 41-month sentence for the new gun case on top of a 24-month sentence for the parole violation. After serving his time, Erving will face another three years under supervised release.

Federal prosecutors didn’t mince words, pointing to Erving’s history. He was indicted in September 2022 and pleaded guilty in May 2023. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna led the prosecution, backed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Peoria Police Department. The statutory maximum for possessing a firearm as a felon is a hefty 15 years, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.

Authorities are framing the case as part of “Project Safe Neighborhoods” (PSN), a federal initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. While the program sounds good on paper, critics argue it’s a band-aid on a gaping wound, failing to address the root causes of crime in communities like Peoria. Erving has been held by U.S. Marshals since his arrest.

The case serves as a stark reminder that illegal gun possession carries significant consequences. But it also begs the question: will a 65-month sentence truly deter others from making the same dangerous choices, or will Peoria continue to grapple with the cycle of gun violence and repeat offenders? Only time will tell.

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