Five years to the day after a sit-in by workers at an abruptly shuttered Chicago factory drew national attention, its former CEO pleaded guilty today to one count of theft for looting Republic Windows & Doors and was promptly sentenced to 4 years in prison.
The guilty plea by Richard Gillman, 60, came a month after he turned down a similar deal from Cook County prosecutors. He was also fined $100,000 by Judge Domenica Stephenson at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.
Republic Windows became a national symbol in late 2008 after some of the more than 200 union workers staged a six-day sit-in over vacation and severance pay owed to them after the sudden closing of the Goose Island factory.
Gillman admitted stealing more than $500,000 from the business and was immediately taken into custody after the sentence was imposed. He could end up serving about 2 years in prison with good behavior.
Gillman turned toward former Republic Windows workers in the courtroom as he apologized for his wrongdoing before he was sentenced.
“First of all I’d like to just look at the folks who are here,” he said as he turned away from the judge to the workers sitting in a jury box. “First…I’m sorry and I really genuinely mean that.”
“Somehow some of the facts got misconstrued, but there was never any harm intended for any of you,” he said. “Now it’s time to move on and build new bridges, and that’s what I’m doing.”
“See ya,” one of the former workers said aloud as Gillman was taken into custody and led from the courtroom.
Ricky Maclin, a former Republic Windows worker who attended today’s court hearing, said he was ecstatic to see “justice being served.”
“He’s not the only one who has done this,” said Maclin, who worked for the company for eight years. “However he’s one of the few that’s been convicted of his crime and that’s a good thing.”
But he didn’t buy Gillman’s apology.
“I was really taken aback by that because he said that he never meant us harm,” Maclin said. “However, five years ago I didn’t get that feeling as I stood there in the plant not knowing which way me and my family was going. I did not get the feeling that he did not mean me harm.”
“Just knowing that he’s going to be in prison tonight, I will sleep better,” he said.
