Rock Island, Illinois Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Federal Prison for Firearms Charge

DAVENPORT, Iowa - A Rock Island man was sentenced September 24, 2024, to 84 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.

According to public court documents, in July 2023, Daryel Deanthony Shears, 20, was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by officers with the Davenport Police Department. Shears was arrested on his outstanding state warrant for not returning to a residential facility in October 2021. In the vehicle, law enforcement located a loaded, stolen handgun. The Iowa Department of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Criminalistics Laboratory located Shears DNA profile on the handgun. Shears was convicted for previous felony state crimes in Iowa and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Shears will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.

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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.