PEORIA, Ill. – In a brazen attempt to steal guns from unsuspecting federal licensees, four Peorians were sentenced to varying lengths of time in prison and supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges.
Dezmond Hardy, 23, of the 4000 block of North Brandywine Drive, Peoria, Illinois was sentenced on May 16, 2024, to 21 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Shaleik Ward, 20, of the 2700 block of West Trewyn Avenue, Peoria, Illinois was sentenced on May 9, 2024, to 15 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Terrence Daniels, 23, of the 4000 block of North Brandywine Drive, Peoria, Illinois was sentenced on May 9, 2024, to 45 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years supervised release. Daniels’ sentence was a combination of a 33-month prison sentence imposed for the conspiracy charge and a 12-month consecutive prison sentence imposed for committing the offense while on supervised release for committing the same conduct in 2019 and 2020 when he and others stole 50 firearms during a five-county burglary spree of gun stores.
The fourth defendant, Erika Garner, 22, of the 6500 block of North Lexington Drive in Peoria, Illinois, received what some might call a light sentence. Garner was sentenced on May 21, 2024, to time served, followed by three years of supervised release.
The conspiracy, which was uncovered in August 2023, involved attempts to burglarize six different gun stores across Central Illinois. The defendants, in varying combinations of participants, drove from Peoria to Spring Valley, Taylorville, LeRoy, Lincoln, Decatur, and Bloomington, where they attempted to enter Mean Metal in Spring Valley; Powder Keg Outfitters in Taylorville; Guns and Glory in Le Roy; Tactical Bunker in Lincoln; Archers Alley in Decatur; and Smiley’s Sports Shop in Bloomington.
Although multiple businesses suffered property damage, the defendants failed to enter any of the stores and no firearms were taken during the attempted burglaries. All four defendants were arrested on August 18, 2023, when members of the Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force and Peoria Police conducted a vehicle containment maneuver on War Memorial Drive as the defendants returned from their most recent failed attempt.
“Stolen guns are used to commit acts of violence in our communities,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna. “Our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners worked together to quickly resolve this case before any guns got into the wrong hands.”
The Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force, comprised of agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Peoria Police Department; the Peoria County Sheriff’s Department; Illinois Department of Corrections; and the Illinois State Police, investigated the case. The Spring Valley, Taylorville, and Decatur Police Departments also participated in the investigation.
As a result of their guilty pleas, all four defendants must jointly pay $2,500 in restitution for damages to one of the businesses. The statutory penalties for conspiracy to steal and possess firearms from a federal firearms licensee is up to five years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
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Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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