Last of four defendants sentenced in case tied to attempted theft of guns across Central Illinois

Posted on May 22, 2024
The defendants stood before Federal Judge James Shadid. (Photo courtesy: WJBC/file)

By Blake Haas

PEORIA – The last of four defendants, who conspired to steal guns from stores in LeRoy, Lincoln Decatur, and Bloomington, was sentenced this week.

In federal court, Judge James Shadid Erika Garner, 22, of Peoria, to time served, followed by three years of supervised release.

Before the sentencing, Garner spent six months behind bars in the Peoria County Jail.

According to a news release, three other defendants pled guilty to attempting to steal guns from the stores.

Judge Shadid sentenced Dezmond Hardy, 23 and 20-year-old Shaleik Ward, 23, both of Peoria, to a year and nine months behind bars.

Judge Shadid also sentenced Terrence Daniels, 23, of Peoria to more than two years behind bars.

“Stolen guns are used to commit acts of violence in our communities,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna in a news release. “Our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners worked together to quickly resolve this case before any guns got into the wrong hands.”

Daniels, Ward, Hardy, and Garner all pled guilty in January of this year.

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].

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