Peoria man sentenced to 21 years in prison for his role in Galesburg bank robbery

Andy Kravetz, Journal Star
·2 min read

PEORIA — A Peoria man was sentenced to nearly 22 years in federal prison for a 2019 bank heist in Galesburg.

Dante Latice Williams, 51, who used to live in the North Valley, was sentenced Feb. 23 to 262 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow on the charge of armed bank robbery. That's about three years shy of the maximum possible sentence.

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According to court records, Williams’ girlfriend and accomplice, Irene Belton, drove him from Peoria to Galesburg in her van, knowing he was planning to rob the First Mid Bank & Trust, 101 E. Main St. Belton pleaded guilty in January 2022 to the same charge and was sentenced to 43 months in prison.

According to charging documents and Belton’s court hearing in Knox County Circuit Court shortly after the 2019 robbery, Belton allegedly drove Williams on Feb. 27 to Galesburg with the intent to rob a bank. The duo drove around for Williams “to see what bank felt right to (Williams),” according to court records. The Peoria man then reportedly dressed up as a woman, entered First Mid Bank & Trust in downtown Galesburg and, with a stun gun in his pocket, took $2,150 from the bank. Due to car problems, the couple remained in town.

After being apprehended blocks away, police searched their vehicle and found Belton’s purse, where Williams’ disguise was found along with the bank’s cash, according to court records.

According to state and federal court records, Williams had a prior armed robbery conviction when he was 28 and committed a bank robbery in 2007 when he was 36. He was on supervised release, the federal version of parole, at the time of the First Mid Bank & Trust robbery.

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Williams originally pleaded guilty in November 2021, but his sentencing was delayed after he initially tried to withdraw his plea. However, shortly after the start of the year, he withdrew that motion and the sentencing was scheduled for last week.

Williams must serve at least 85% of his sentence.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria man sentenced in 2019 Galesburg bank robbery