JOLIET, Ill. — A former suburban school bus driver received 76 years in prison Tuesday for attempting to kill his victim, the victim’s mother, two officers and a hitman in a foiled plot.

Christian Shepherd, 44, of Ottawa, was initially charged with criminal sexual assault in May 2010.

While in prison, he attempted to hire another inmate to murder the victim he was charged with sexually assaulting, the victim’s mother and two detectives.

Shepherd gave the inmate a map to the residence of one of his intended victims as well as a “taunting statement” for him to read prior to the potential crimes.

Officials said the inmate turned the documents over to police and wore a wire, which allowed authorities to gather audio evidence.

Shepherd then hired a second inmate to kill the initial potential victims as well as the first hitman. the second inmate also informed police about Shepherd’s plans.

“Shepherd is a soulless predator who was willing to take the lives of five human beings in a heinous attempt to avoid accountability for his own abhorrent crimes,” Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow said. “We will never know what might have happened if both inmates Shepherd tried to hire had not miraculously come forward to the police. They were a divine intervention that derailed Shepherd’s plans for the slaughter of five people. His potential victims now live with a lost sense of safety and security from knowing they were targets in a murder plot. Shepherd is an insidious miscreant who deserves every single day he will be spending in a cold, dark prison cell.”

Shepherd will receive credit for 4,625 days already served.