Man gets 27 years for armed hijacking of truck in Wood Dale

The final of three defendants was sentenced Wednesday to 27 years in prison for hijacking an electronics delivery truck in Wood Dale.

James M. Gibson, 28, of Chicago, received the term for terrorizing two drivers early July 6, 2006, as they hauled more than a dozen large-screen televisions to customers.

The workers were delivering a television on the 400 block of Montrose Avenue when the three armed men attacked them and commandeered their freightliner.

The delivery men eventually were released unharmed, one in Oak Brook and the other in Chicago along the Kennedy Expressway, and were able to help police identify their attackers.

Two co-defendants, Caesar J. Moore, 45, of Round Lake Beach, and Melvin Wilson, 32, of Chicago, were sentenced to 12 years in prison for felony armed robbery during earlier plea deals.

A DuPage County jury found Gibson guilty of armed robbery, aggravated kidnapping and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon during his February trial. He faced six to 75 years in prison.

DuPage Circuit Judge George Bakalis meted out Wednesday's sentence, which Gibson must serve 85 percent of before being eligible for parole. Gibson has a prior felony armed robbery conviction for sticking up a Blue Island liquor store.

"This defendant is a devious criminal who cares only about himself," prosecutor Steven Knight argued. "Proper placement in prison is necessary to protect the public."

A nearby resident reported the disturbance in a 911 call just after 8 a.m. July 6, 2006, but the truck and men were gone when police arrived.

Nearly a half hour later, Oak Brook police called to say a man reported he was taken at gunpoint by three offenders and was released. They also said the delivery driver likely was still being held by the suspects in the hijacked delivery truck.

The second driver was released in Chicago one hour later. The men were able to give police information about their hijackers' van. Police said they nabbed the men as they were unloading the televisions into Moore's home and garage in Round Lake Beach.

Authorities said they recovered nearly $30,000 in electronic merchandise, the delivery truck and two revolvers.