Man gets three life sentences and other years for aggravated kidnappings and armed robbery at a Chalmette pharmacy in 2014; One other defendant already serving life and two others await trial

A man who had been living in Chalmette was sentenced to three life sentences and other years for aggravated kidnappings and armed robbery at a Chalmette pharmacy in August 2014. Another defendant is already serving life and two others await trial.

Leonard Gibson, 44, arrested outside a Walgreens at Judge Perez Drive at Paris Road after the crimes, was convicted by a jury recently after prosecution by District Attorney Perry Nicosia’s office and was sentenced Oct. 6 by state District Judge Jeanne Nunez Juneau.

Gibson received life sentences without parole or probation for each of three convictions for aggravated kidnapping of two store employees and a customer in a take-over robbery in which they were forced into a room and threatened. The sentences were mandatory.

Gibson, also convicted of armed robbery and two counts of attempted armed robbery, received a total of 105 years in prison for those counts, according to court records.

The sentences were ordered to be served concurrently, meaning at the same time, rather than consecutively.

One other defendant in the robbery and kidnappings, Ben Amos, 28, is already serving a life sentence plus other years for his June jury conviction in the case.

Alleged getaway driver John Wilson and Quinita “Peaches’’ Harris, who worked at the Walgreens, lived with Gibson and allegedly helped orchestrate the robbery, are both jailed and await trial.

Both District Attorney Nicosia and Sheriff James Pohlmann applauded the convictions and sentences, saying they will send a strong message to would-be criminals.

A store employee secretly called the Sheriff’s Office while the robbery was in process about 4:30 a.m. and responding deputies quickly caught Amos and Gibson at the scene. Harris was arrested the next day and Wilson was arrested several days later.

No one was injured and the only item stolen was a cell phone from an employee, which was recovered. Two guns, two bandanas they wore over their faces, gloves and wraps they were using to try to tie up the victims were also recovered, Sheriff Pohlmann said.