Four Peoria residents have been sentenced after their attempted spree to lift firearms from gun stores across Central Illinois. Their plans were thwarted by law enforcement before any weapons changed hands, sending a clear signal to would-be gun thieves that crime doesn’t pay.
Erika Garner, the last of the quartet, received her sentencing on May 21, 2024, for conspiring to burglarize gun shops in a string of Illinois towns. Garner, 22, of the 6500 block of North Lexington Drive, was given time served and three years of supervised release, as detailed in a Justice Department release. Her co-conspirators, Dezmond Hardy, 23; Shaleik Ward, 20; and Terrence Daniels, 23, had earlier received sentences ranging from 15 months to 45 months in prison, each followed by supervised release.
The crew targeted several firearms dealers between August 14 and August 18, 2023, hitting Mean Metal, Powder Keg Outfitters, and other businesses, leaving behind nothing but damage in their wake. Fortunately, the Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force, along with local police units, busted the gang on August 18 as they came back from their last botched job. "Stolen guns are used to commit acts of violence in our communities," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna, emphasizing the importance of the collaboration to prevent firearms from falling into dangerous hands.
All four members of this foiled gang have been ordered to cough up $2,500 in restitution for their acts of vandalism. Hardy and Daniels had been held in custody by the U.S. Marshals since their capture, while Ward’s stint in handcuffs started post-verdict. Garner had been out on bond but saw her freedom cut short in November after breaching her conditions of release.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a joint effort by all levels of enforcement to crack down on violent crime and gun violence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna, who represented the government, stressed the coordinated approach in this successful prevention of gun theft, which could have led to more criminal activity in Peoria’s streets.
