A Barry, Illinois man accused of detonating an explosive device behind the Pike County Jail and sending violent threats to county officials has been sentenced to prison following a guilty plea on Tuesday.
Dakota J. Adams, 23, pled guilty in Pike County Circuit Court to multiple felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from the August 2025 explosion and related acts of intimidation and domestic violence.
According to court records, Adams pled guilty to Class 1 felony possession of an explosive device, Class 3 felony unlawful possession of a weapon (bomb, bombshell, or grenade), two counts of Class 3 felony intimidation threatening physical harm, Class 2 felony aggravated domestic battery by strangulation, and four counts of misdemeanor domestic battery.
As part of the plea agreement, several charges were dismissed, including an additional count of Class 1 felony possession of an explosive device, a Class 3 felony intimidation charge, Class 4 felony criminal damage to government-owned property under $500, Class 4 felony unlawful restraint, and a misdemeanor assault charge.
Explosion Behind Jail
The case originated on August 3 when law enforcement agencies responded to an explosion in the alley behind the Pike County Jail in Pittsfield.
According to the Pike County Sheriff’s Department, officers were dispatched around 7:30 p.m. after reports of a blast in the alley. Following an investigation, Adams was arrested in Fulton County on charges of possession of an incendiary device and unlawful use of a weapon.
Multiple agencies assisted in the investigation, including the Pittsfield Police Department, Rushville Police Department, Schuyler County Sheriff’s Office, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Illinois State Police, Illinois Conservation Police, Beardstown Police Department, and the Illinois Secretary of State’s Hazardous Device Unit.
Threatening Messages and Additional Charges
On August 4, WGEM reported that additional charges were filed against Adams after investigators reviewed messages allegedly sent through the jail’s inmate text messaging system.
Pike County Sheriff David Greenwood said Adams allegedly sent threatening messages indicating plans to harm people and detonate explosives if his girlfriend remained incarcerated or was prosecuted in Pike County. Court documents cite messages allegedly sent by Adams that included threats referencing firearms, explosives, and violence directed at Pike County Jail officials.
In one message, Adams allegedly wrote, “762 556 223 10mm 9m who tf want either one f**k Pike County you will die.” In another, he allegedly threatened that “limbs will be picked up out of the street.”
Authorities also charged Adams with criminal damage to government-supported property for damage allegedly caused to asphalt in the alley behind the jail and to property at the Methodist Church in Pittsfield. A second count of possession of an incendiary device was also filed at that time.
The Pike County State’s Attorney’s Office subsequently filed a petition to deny Adams pretrial release.
Case Resolution
With Tuesday’s plea agreement, Judge J. Frank McCartney sentenced Adams to a total of five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, ordered him to pay a $2,000 county fine, and granted him 143 days of credit for time already served in the Pike County Jail.