Five Men Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Guns From a Federally Licensed Firearms Dealer in Tazewell County
PEORIA, Ill. – The last of five defendants - Jaquon Timothy, 19, of the 1600 block of South Stanley Street in Peoria, Illinois – was sentenced on March 24, 2022, to 22 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for his involvement in the theft of nine firearms during the burglary of a gun store in fall 2020.
Timothy had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal and possess firearms from a federal firearms licensee; stealing from a federal firearms licensee; and possession of a stolen firearm.
Four other defendants also pleaded guilty to charges connected to the burglary and have been sentenced.
Deondra Proctor, 20, of the 2000 block of South Friedan Street in Peoria, was sentenced on July 1, 2021, to 27 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to steal and possess firearms from a federal firearms licensee; stealing from a federal firearms licensee; and possession of a stolen firearm.
Tyruis Bramlett, Jr., 19, of the 6500 block of North University Street in Peoria, was sentenced on October 25, 2021, to 32 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to steal and possess firearms from a federal firearms licensee; stealing from a federal firearms licensee; and possession of a stolen firearm.
Devin Price, 22, of the 100 block of Walnut Court in East Peoria, Illinois, was sentenced on November 22, 2021, to a total of 66 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to steal and possess firearms from a federal firearms licensee; stealing from a federal firearms licensee; possession of a stolen firearm; and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Zabian Hatcher, 22, of the 200 block of West Marquette Street in Peoria, was sentenced on February 10, 2022, to a total of 84 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to steal and possess firearms from a federal firearms licensee; stealing from a federal firearms licensee; possession of a stolen firearm; and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Each of the defendants have remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since their arrests.
At the sentencing hearings, the government presented evidence that on October 29, 2020, at approximately 2:03 AM, Creve Coeur Police Officers were dispatched to a gun store known as “Thompson Trading Company”, located in Creve Coeur, Illinois. Officers saw that the glass entry door was shattered. Security camera footage showed six individuals committing the burglary. Three individuals entered the business and three remained outside of the front doors. The individuals on the inside of the store can be seen on video stealing firearms. A subsequent inventory indicated that nine firearms were stolen from the federal firearms licensee during the burglary, including a Colt 9mm AR-15 rifle equipped with a high-capacity magazine.
The subjects then fled from an East Peoria police officer until the getaway car struck a curb and sustained damage. Six occupants fled from the car, but a seventh person, the female driver, stayed in the car and was taken into custody. Two firearms stolen from “Thompson Trading Company” were recovered and two additional firearms from the burglary were found in a nearby driveway. Several identification cards were found in the car.
The investigation revealed that the driver, along with six other individuals had traveled to Pekin, Illinois, where they broke into a car dealership and attempted to steal cars. The car theft was unsuccessful. On the drive back to Peoria from Pekin, someone told the driver to pull into “Thompson Trading Company” where the six men committed the burglary.
The statutory penalties for conspiracy to steal and possess firearms from a federal firearms licensee are up to five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. Stealing from a federal firearms licensee and possession of a stolen firearm each has penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to a three-year term of supervised release .
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners in the Central District of Illinois are committed to enforcing federal firearms laws,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney, Ronald L. Hanna. “Individuals who burglarize federal firearms licensees will face prosecution.”
“When firearms are stolen from a federal firearm licensee, they often end up in the hands of those who commit gun crimes in our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Division Kristen de Tineo. “We appreciate the collaborative efforts of our law enforcement partners and federal prosecutors in investigating and prosecuting these important cases.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case, with the assistance of the East Peoria and Peoria Police Departments, the Creve Coeur Police Department, and the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office worked in collaboration with the Tazewell County State’s Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hanna represented the government in the prosecution.
The case was brought as part of The Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. The Department’s renewed commitment to Project Safe Neighborhoods establishes four fundamental principles to guide efforts to reduce violent crime: 1) build trust and legitimacy within communities; 2) invest in community-based prevention and intervention programs; 3) target enforcement and priorities to focus resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of gun violence and other violent crime; and, 4) measure results with the goal to reduce the level of violence in our communities and not to increase the number of arrests and prosecutions as if they were ends in themselves.
