Former East Dubuque police officer charged with theft, official misconduct

A former East Dubuque police officer who was fired by the city and was the subject of a state investigation has been charged with theft and misconduct. 33-year-old Jake A. Peacock of East Dubuque, was charged in Jo Daviess County Circuit Court earlier this month with four counts of theft of governmental property and 10 counts of official misconduct. He was fired Aug. 27, 2024, and subsequently was the subject of an investigation by the Illinois State Police. Court documents state that from Aug. 20 to Aug. 27, 2024, Peacock “obtained unauthorized control over” motor vehicle fuel belonging to the city of East Dubuque. Peacock also faces charges of official misconduct, a Class 3 felony, related to each of the theft charges. Peacock also used the statewide Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS) to search for information on people for “personal purposes unrelated to his duties as a police officer.” Peacock sent information on an individual he searched in the LEADS system to a private citizen not legally authorized to have that information. His first court appearance is set for June 5 at 9 a.m.