A former Fort Deposit, Alabama police officer has been sentenced to 37 months in prison for his role in a scheme to steal money from motorists during traffic stops.
Carlos Tyson Bennett, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller on August 29, 2012 to 37 months in prison, two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $500 in restitution.
Bennett, who previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy against rights and four counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, admitted to conspiring with another former Fort Deposit police officer, Jessie Alan Fuller, to pull over vehicles under the guise of legitimate law enforcement activity and to steal cash from drivers and passengers in violation of their Fourth Amendment rights.
During the scheme, Bennett committed four specific thefts, taking between $100 and $200 per victim, and the officers typically shared the stolen money.
Fuller, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy and one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, was sentenced to 37 months in prison on August 28, 2012.
“This defendant betrayed the public trust when he took advantage of his position of authority to steal from those he pledged to serve,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Division.
“Police officers are here to protect the public, not exploit it,” stated U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. “When law enforcement officers take advantage of people they are supposed to be serving, they must be punished.
This case was investigated by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation; the Butler County, Ala., Sheriff’s Office; and the Lowndes County, Ala., Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gray Borden for the Middle District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Chiraag Bains from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Related Federal Cases
- Carlos Tyson Bennett, Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law, Alabama 2009 · California
- Carlos Tyson Bennett, Highway Robbery, Alabama 2009 · Alabama
- South Carolina Department of Mental Health, Civil Rights Violations… · Florida
- State of Tennessee, Civil Rights Violations, TN, 2023 · Florida
- King County, Rights Violations, Washington, 2023 · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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