Fort Deposit Officer Gets 37 Months for Highway Robbery

MONTGOMERY, AL – Another crooked cop is headed to federal prison. Carlos Tyson Bennett, 37, of Fort Deposit, Alabama, received a 37-month sentence today after admitting to shaking down drivers on Interstate 65. U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller also slapped Bennett with two years of supervised release and a $500 restitution order.

Bennett isn’t acting alone. He and former Fort Deposit police officer Jessie Alan Fuller teamed up in 2009 to pull over vehicles under the guise of legitimate traffic stops. But instead of enforcing the law, they were robbing people. Bennett pleaded guilty on August 29, 2012, to one count of conspiracy against rights and four counts of deprivation of rights under color of law. He confessed to stealing between $100 and $200 from each victim during four separate incidents in May and June of 2009, splitting the loot with Fuller.

The scheme was simple, and sickeningly effective. Bennett and Fuller abused their authority, violating the Fourth Amendment rights of unsuspecting motorists. They didn’t just stop at theft, attempting to cover their tracks when law enforcement began sniffing around. Fuller previously copped a plea to similar charges and was sentenced to 37 months on August 28, 2012. Now, both former officers will have plenty of time to reflect on their choices behind bars.

“This defendant betrayed the public trust when he took advantage of his position of authority to steal from those he pledged to serve,” stated Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to prosecuting those who abuse their authority and violate the Constitution.” It’s a statement, but will it deter others? Grimy Times will be watching.

U.S. Attorney George L. Beck, Jr. was equally blunt: “Police officers are here to protect the public, not exploit the public. When law enforcement officers take advantage of people they are supposed to be serving, they must be punished. This case shows that my office will continue to do everything under the law to protect the public from criminals, even when the criminal is a law enforcement officer.” A sentiment we rarely hear from the prosecutor’s office.

The investigation was a collaborative effort, spearheaded by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gray Borden of the Middle District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Chiraag Bains from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division built the case. Expect more fallout from this case as internal investigations likely proceed.

PRESS CONTACT: Clark Morris
usaalm.press@usdoj.gov
(334) 551-1755

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