DIXON – A 41-year-old Sterling man who has a 26-year history of drugs, theft and other felony convictions in five – and now six – counties was sentenced to three years of probation in Lee County for dealing meth in a case that originally also had him indicted on a narcotics racketeering charge.

Shannon R. Davis, who was paroled from prison Feb. 2, was indicted May 12, 2023, by a statewide grand jury on the racketeering charge and on four counts of dealing less than 5 grams of meth in both Lee and Whiteside counties.

Narcotics racketeering is punishable by four to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The meth charges each carried a prison sentence of three to seven years.

Davis pleaded guilty March 15 to one of the meth charges; the rest were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Davis also was fined $3,340.

It was at least his 10th felony sentencing hearing in at least 17 cases since 1998, with half of those in Whiteside County, where two more case are pending.

Assistant Attorney General Gregg Gansmann prosecuted the case. He declined to comment and referred all questions – including about the statewide indictment, why the AG’s office was prosecuting and why he was given probation, to the attorney general’s press office, which also declined to comment.

Lee County Public Defender Robert Thompson represented Davis, who was imprisoned for possession of meth at the time of the indictment.

In Whiteside County, Davis was charged Feb. 9, 2023, with possession of fewer than 5 grams of meth and May 15, 2022, with obstructing justice, which is punishable by one to three years in prison.

He was freed Feb. 6 under the Pretrial Fairness Act and has a hearing April 17 in both cases.

According to Illinois Department of Corrections and county court records, Davis was sentenced:

• June 7, 2023, in Stephenson County to two years for possession of fewer than 5 grams of meth;

• Oct. 21, 2016, in Ogle County to one year for theft worth less than $300 with a previous conviction;

• Nov. 30, 2018, in Rock Island County to four years, to be served concurrently, on three counts of theft worth less than $300 with a previous conviction;

• May 7, 2014, in Whiteside County to three years and six months, to be served concurrently, for aggravated battery of a merchant and theft worth less than $300 with a previous conviction; Sept. 9, 2009, to eight years for two counts of burglary; Nov. 28, 2007, to three years and six months for three counts of burglary and four years on three counts of theft worth less than $30 with a previous conviction; and May 7, 2007, to 2½ years of probation for retail theft;

• in 2003 in Kane County to a year and a half for possession of a controlled substance and a year for obstructing justice;

• and, finally, in Whiteside County in 1998 to six years for dealing a controlled substance and manufacturing cocaine.