A Davenport man, Diamonte Eugene Thomas, was sentenced on March 12 to 170 months in federal prison for possessing ammunition as a felon.
The case highlights ongoing efforts to address gun violence and enforce laws prohibiting felons from possessing firearms or ammunition. According to public court documents, Thomas, age 27, fired a gun three times from a vehicle toward two people entering an apartment building in Davenport in October 2023. Three children were present in the car at the time of the shooting. Law enforcement recovered three spent shell casings from the scene that had been fired by Thomas.
Thomas is barred from possessing ammunition due to his status as a felon, which includes a previous conviction in 2023 for unlawful possession with intent to deliver cannabis in Illinois Circuit Court for Rock Island County. After serving his prison sentence, Thomas will be subject to three years of supervised release. There is no parole available in the federal system.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa announced the sentencing. The Davenport Police Department conducted the investigation.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that brings together law enforcement and community organizations to reduce violent crime and gun violence. The Department of Justice launched an updated violent crime reduction strategy under PSN on May 26, 2021, focusing on building trust within communities, supporting prevention efforts, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
