Four From Peoria Charged With Conspiring To Steal Firearms From Licensed Dealers in Spring Valley, Taylorville, Le Roy, Lincoln, Decatur, and Bloomington
PEORIA, Ill. – A federal criminal complaint filed Aug. 21 charges four people from Peoria, Illinois, with conspiring to steal firearms from six different locations in central Illinois between Aug. 14 and 18. Terrence Daniels, 23, Dezmond Hardy, 22, Erika Garner, 21, and Shaleik Ward, 19, are each charged with one count of conspiring to steal guns from a federal firearms licensee. All four were arrested on Aug. 18 and the complaint and affidavit were unsealed at their court appearances on Aug. 21 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan E. Hawley in Peoria. At the conclusion of their respective hearings, all four were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals pending further proceedings.
As alleged in the complaint affidavit, on Aug. 14, police officers were dispatched to an attempt burglary at Mean Metal, a gun dealer in Spring Valley and discovered that a glass window of the business had been shattered. On Aug. 15, officers responded to an attempted burglary at Powder Keg Outfitters, a gun dealer in Taylorville. As with the first attempt burglary, officers discovered that a glass window on the business had been shattered.
Additional attempt burglaries were reported at Guns and Glory in Le Roy, Tactical Bunker in Lincoln, Archers Alley in Decatur and Smiley’s Sport Shop in Bloomington.
If convicted of conspiring to steal firearms, each defendant faces up to five years’ imprisonment. The charges also carry up to three years of supervised release and a possible fine of up to $250,000.
The arrests followed a joint investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies, including agency members of the Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force as well as the Spring Valley Police Department, the Taylorville Police Department and the Peoria Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna.
Members of the public are reminded that the charges in a complaint are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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