Quincy man pleads guilty to possession of weapon by felon, gets seven-year prison sentence

QUINCY — A Quincy man was sentenced to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to a charge of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon.

Donte M. Clausell, 36, appeared in Adams County Circuit Court Friday afternoon with Chief Public Defender Jonathan Hoover before Circuit Judge Holly Henze.

Clausell received credit for 1,089 days of time served. He will serve his prison sentence concurrently with a six-year prison sentence he received Oct. 31, 2024, from U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. 

Charges of attempted first-degree murder, a Class X felony, and aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony, were dismissed as part of plea negotiations.

Clausell and Stefan K. Crider were arrested by the Adams County Sheriff’s Department on Aug. 6, 2020, after a July 4, 2020, shooting on Illinois Route 57. Crider pled guilty in May 2024 to an aggravated discharge of a firearm charge, a Class 2 felony, and was sentenced to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Had the case gone to trial, Adams County State’s Attorney Todd Eyler said he could have had deputies from the Adams County Sheriff’s Department testify about what he described as a “rolling disturbance.” The deputies met with two people who were inside a car, and shots were fired from another vehicle that was following them. The car was struck, but no injuries were reported. 

An investigation followed, and deputies learned Clausell was an occupant of the car from which the shots were fired. Eyler said Clausell has a prior felony conviction for burglary out of Adams County from 2007.