(MT. VERNON, IL) — A 22-year-old Swansea man, charged in connection with the 2011 murder of a Mt. Vernon cab driver, was sentenced Wednesday in Jefferson County Court to 20-years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for one of four counts of First Degree Murder against him. Demandre Black was charged along with three others in the May 2011 shooting death of 75-year-old Charles Ellis. Police responded to the intersection 6th and Bell streets on an early morning report of shots fired, where they found Ellis dead from a single gunshot. For years, Ellis drove a taxi for American Cab Company in Mount Vernon. Hours later, police arrested then 18-year-old Mark Taylor, 18-year-old Damandros James and 15-year-old Christopher Wells, all of Mt. Vernon, along with the then 18-year-old Black, for their alleged involvement in Ellis’s death. Black is the first of the group to be sentenced for Ellis’ murder. Christopher Wells, a juvenile at the time of the shooting, has gone through the judicial process. He has been charged as an adult, entered an open plea of guilty, and is awaiting sentencing. James has also entered an open plea of guilty to First Degree Murder for his involvement in Ellis’ death. As a result of his plea, James will be sentenced at a date to be determined. James faces a sentence of between 20 and 60 years in prison and must serve 100 percent of his sentence. During James’ 2014 plea hearing, Jefferson County State’s Attorney Doug Hoffman and Attorney Aaron Hopkins agreed that per his plea agreement, James would fully cooperate in the prosecution of Black, Taylor and Wells.