Carlos Antoine Benson, Armed Robbery, Kidnapping and Murder, North Carolina 2014

Benson and Hill Put Lives in Jeopardy Over Small Amount of Drugs and Cash

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In a shocking display of brutality, Carlos Antoine Benson, 37, and Jacob Ivan Hill, 36, both of Charlotte, were sentenced to life in prison for their roles in the armed robbery, kidnapping and murder of a Charlotte man in 2014.

Benson was ordered to serve two consecutive life sentences, while both defendants were ordered to pay $6,750 as restitution. The gruesome crime that left a 28-year-old man dead, was a result of a botched robbery that went horribly wrong.

According to court documents and witness testimony, Benson and Hill had been purchasing small amounts of cocaine from the victim, and decided to take matters into their own hands by robbing him at gunpoint. The victim was shot six times, including once in the back of the head, after he attempted to reach for a handgun tucked in his pocket.

Benson and Hill’s crimes were committed on November 12, 2014. The defendants were convicted by a federal jury in September 2016 of all charges in the federal indictment, including Hobbs Act robbery and crimes resulting in murder.

U.S. Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose praised the efforts of the ATF and CMPD in investigating the case and bringing the perpetrators to justice. "Benson and Hill planned and carried out a scheme to rob a suspected narcotics trafficker, ultimately killing him over a small amount of drugs and cash," Rose said. "The two men will now have to spend the rest of their lives in prison for their violent crime."

The sentence is a testament to the tireless efforts of law enforcement agencies in the community to protect citizens from violent crime. "ATF’s mission is to combat violent crime and this investigation achieved that goal," said Special Agent in Charge Hyman. "The arrests and subsequent life sentences for Benson and Hill send a clear message that ATF and its law enforcement partners will not allow violent criminals to continue victimizing our communities and neighborhoods."

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