A Peoria County assistant state’s attorney faces a bundle of preliminary charges related to alleged gun crimes.
The charges stem from an arrest made early Tuesday morning. According to the Woodford County Sheriff’s Office, Kali Pray, 28, of Groveland, and passenger Drake Tharp, 23, of Creve Coeur, were pulled over for speeding around 1:26 a.m. on Illinois Route 24, just west of El Paso.
The sheriff’s deputy said they smelled the “odor of raw cannabis” from the vehicle. Officers said a search of the vehicle found cannabis and a stolen handgun. They said neither Pray nor Tharp had a valid Firearm Owner Identification [FOID] card.
Both were arrested and charged with possession of a stolen firearm, not having a valid FOID card, and aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon. Online jail records indicate both are still in custody at the Woodford County Jail.
According to Pray’s LinkedIn page, she is an assistant state’s attorney specializing in juvenile abuse and neglect. When contacted by WCBU for comment, Public Information Officer Anna Perales with the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office said Pray was on unpaid administrative leave at the time of her arrest.
The office is reviewing the incident.
