CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Justice, however delayed, landed hard on Carlos Antoine Benson, 37, and Jacob Ivan Hill, 36, both of Charlotte, today. Chief U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney handed down life sentences to both men for their roles in the brutal 2014 armed robbery, kidnapping, and ultimately, the murder of a Charlotte man caught in the city’s drug trade. Benson received two consecutive life sentences, a testament to the particularly heinous nature of his actions. Both defendants are also ordered to pay $6,750 in restitution.
The federal jury reached its verdict in September 2016, finding Benson and Hill guilty on all counts of the federal indictment – a litany of offenses including Hobbs Act robbery and crimes resulting in murder. The case, a chilling example of greed and violence, unfolded over a deal for a relatively small amount of cocaine. U.S. Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose, alongside C.J. Hyman, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Kerr Putney of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, announced the sentencing today.
Court documents paint a grim picture. Benson and Hill initially robbed an individual who was a minor source of cocaine for Hill. They strong-armed him into revealing his supplier – the eventual victim – and used his cell phone to set up a meeting. The plan was simple: rob the supplier of drugs and cash. Benson and Hill warned the initial victim that he’d be “offed” if he alerted the intended target. The cold calculation of their scheme is sickeningly clear.
On November 12, 2014, the trap was set. Benson, armed with a handgun, hid in the back of the victim’s car at a Charlotte apartment complex. Hill acted as lookout. When the victim arrived and sat in the passenger seat, Benson revealed himself, demanding rings. The situation escalated instantly when the victim reached for a handgun of his own. Benson responded by opening fire, unleashing six rounds, one of which struck the victim in the back of the head. Benson himself was wounded in the exchange. The victim’s girlfriend, four months pregnant, witnessed the carnage and managed to drive away, calling 9-1-1.
The aftermath was chaotic. Benson fled to a secluded cul-de-sac, where Hill abandoned him in the grass before speeding away. Hill was quickly apprehended, his vehicle packed with firearms and drugs. Paramedics found Benson and transported him to the hospital. Both men were arrested upon discharge and have now faced the full weight of the law. Hill drove away, leaving Benson to face the music, a telling detail of their crumbling partnership.
“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,” stated U.S. Attorney Rose. “The two men will now have to spend the rest of their lives in prison for their violent crime.” Special Agent in Charge Hyman echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that the life sentences “send a clear message that ATF and its law enforcement partners will not allow violent criminals to continue victimizing our communities.” The convictions include nine charges: Hobbs Act robbery and aiding and abetting; conspiracy to commit kidnapping; kidnapping and aiding and abetting; conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine; possession with intent to distribute cocaine and aiding and abetting; and brandishing/discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
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Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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