Peters is in jail for his biggest crime yet

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – Career criminal Daniel Lee Peters is being held this morning in the Campbell County Jail without bond.

Peters spent 46 days in jail last fall for attempted aggravated robbery at Kenny’s Pioneer, theft of property under $1,000 and a seventh driving while revoked based on jail records. On Monday, he was arrested on burglary charges, theft of property under $60,000 and possessing a firearm in commission of a felony.

Det.-Sgt. Charles Duff with La Follette Police arrested Peters after suspecting him from the initial phase of the investigation. Peters had been working for the elderly man from whom he allegedly burglarized.

Duff learned Peters had recently been at the victim’s home asking if he could mow his yard for him again this season. Duff said Peters had knowledge of the items on the man’s property that went missing, because Peters previously mowed and worked in the yard of the South Tennessee Avenue home. “That made him a person of interest,” Duff said.

“He pawned and sold a lot of the items, and I located some of them at pawn shops around the area and received tips on Peters from other people who had bought from him,” added Duff. Among what was taken were tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition, an AK-47 style rifle, a Cabala’s Deluxe Gun Cleaning Kit and ultimately four pages of itemized belongings.

Peters ID that was matched up with the items he pawned were identified by the victim. “That narrowed it down, and along with other evidence and statements, I was ready to make an arrest,” Duff said.

“We had trouble locating Peters, because he was always on the move. But we finally got a tip on his location on Monday. I picked him up on four felony warrants out of Knoxville City and was able to interview him,” said Duff. Peters was arrested at a home on College Park Road in the College Hill neighborhood; the same place where he was when Duff arrested Peters in the Kenny’s Pioneer case.

Duff had been investigating the crime since March 14 when LPD Officers Darryl Chapman and Melissa Phillips along with Sgt. Noah Riggs filed the preliminary report. “We’ve recovered quite a lot of what was stolen, but there’s more to be located, because it was such a large amount,” Duff said.

For the 37-year- old Peters, who lists a Jacksboro home address of Clear Lake Drive, this was his 15th booking into the county jail. He’s due in court on May 11. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 04/15/2021-6AM)