Peoria Felon Sentenced to 84 Months in Federal Prison for Possession and Sales of Machineguns, Firearms and Ammunition

PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Illinois man, Devonte Powell Thompson, 27, was sentenced today to 84 months’ imprisonment for two counts of possession of a machinegun and three counts of possession of firearms and ammunition. His sentence includes a three-year term of supervised release to be served upon completion of his term of confinement.

At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, the government presented evidence that Thompson, while on parole for a state felony firearm conviction, possessed and sold three handguns, including an AR-15-style privately manufactured “ghost gun” pistol, two machinegun conversion “switch” devices, and ammunition over the course of four transactions in February 2023. Thompson was prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition due to any one of his five prior felony convictions, three of which were firearm-related offenses.

The indictment was filed in July 2023, and Thompson was arrested shortly thereafter on July 19, 2023. Thompson entered a guilty plea in February 2024. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest.

The statutory penalties for possession of a machinegun are up to 10 years’ imprisonment, followed by up to three years of supervised release, for each count. The penalties for possession of firearms and ammunition are up to 15 years imprisonment, followed by up to three years of supervised release, for each count.

The Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force, comprised of agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Peoria Police Department; the Peoria County Sheriff’s Department; Illinois Department of Corrections; and the Illinois State Police, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna represented the government in the prosecution.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.