Pekin Drug Kingpin Dawe Jailed for 12 Years

PEORIA, Ill. — Daniel W. Dawe, a 48-year-old Pekin man from the 1600 block of Crescent Drive, has been locked away for 12 years and 7 months for his involvement in methamphetamine distribution, according to the Department of Justice USAO for Illinois.

Dawe was nabbed during a traffic stop on November 5, 2019. Authorities found several baggies containing what turned out to be 17.584 grams of pure ice methamphetamine hidden on his person. Dawe admitted he had purchased eight ounces of the drug since his release from prison in June 2019, while still on supervised release for a prior robbery conviction.

The sentence, handed down at the sentencing hearing, includes an additional eight years of supervised release following his prison term. Dawe pleaded guilty to the charge under a written plea agreement on June 25, 2021.

His previous 2012 conviction for robbery, a serious violent felony, triggered enhanced penalties, with a minimum sentence of 10 years to life in prison and up to $8 million in fines. Since his arrest, Dawe has been held by the U.S. Marshals Service.

The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Pekin Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine G. Legge representing the prosecution. The case is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF)’s National Methamphetamine Strategic Initiative, aimed at dismantling high-level drug trafficking organizations.

For more information on the OCDETF Program, visit https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.