URBANA — An Urbana man convicted of robbing an adult book store clerk and customer at gunpoint faces up to 75 years in prison when he’s sentenced April 12.

It took a Champaign County jury about 45 minutes Wednesday to decide that Dwayne L. Gillespie, 30, who listed an address in the 900 block of North Broadway Avenue, was guilty of two counts of armed robbery for a holdup that occurred May 31 at Fantasy’s at 3604 N. Cunningham Ave., U.

Assistant State’s Attorney Lindsey Clark said because Gillespie has a prior conviction for murder, the usual six to 30 year sentence is potentially doubled, and because a weapon was used, another 15 years could be added on.

Co-defendant Jimel Green, 37, who last lived on Summit Ridge in Champaign, pleaded guilty in November to one count of armed robbery and was sentenced to 21 years in prison.

Testimony in the trial before Judge Harry Clem revealed that Champaign County sheriff’s deputy Richard Coleman noticed a van on the side of U.S. 45 not far from the business with its hazard lights on shortly after 1 a.m. that day.

As he was checking it out, he saw two men running from the business and asked if the van was theirs. Within seconds, he also received the radio report that the business had just been robbed.
Coleman arrested Gillespie and Green and found in their path of flight, not far from the business, a  revolver, a mask and a stocking cap.

Green had $278 on him — the same amount that had been reported stolen from the register.

Clark said business clerk Logan Hinton testified a customer told him about the van at the side of the road and he was going to check it out when he met the masked and gloved robbers at the door. He struggled with the gunman and then went to the counter to get the cash.

The gunman also noticed that Kyyone Burney, 35, of Champaign, was in the store. The gunman put a gun in Burney’s side, robbed him of his money clip and cash, and marched him to the counter.

Champaign County sheriff’s investigator David Sherrick testified that Gillespie told him that the van belonged to his girlfriend’s grandmother, that it broke down and that he and Green were walking from Urbana to Rantoul to get help. Sherrick said he later had no difficulty getting the van to start.

Gillespie, who was represented by Assistant Public Defender Scott Schmidt, chose not to testify.