Bennie Ray Carpenter Jr, Bank Robbery, Alabama 2020

Bank Robbery

Bennie Ray Carpenter, Jr., a 42-year-old man from Town Creek, Alabama, has been sentenced to 154 months in prison for his role in robbing two Lowndes County banks.

On February 28, 2020, Carpenter entered the BancorpSouth Bank located in Hayneville, Alabama, wearing black clothing, including a ski mask and ski goggles, and an AK-47 semiautomatic rifle. He approached the counter and demanded money from the teller, who complied and gave him cash from the drawer. Carpenter then left the bank and got into an awaiting vehicle driven by his accomplice, Hunter Lee McPherson.

Just days later, on March 2, 2020, Carpenter robbed the First Citizens Bank in Fort Deposit, Alabama, in a similar fashion using the same type of firearm, with McPherson serving as the getaway driver.

Law Enforcement reviewed video surveillance provided by each of the banks and determined that the suspects were the same in each of the two bank robberies. They also discovered that stolen vehicles were used in both robberies and burned afterwards.

Carpenter and McPherson were indicted by a federal grand jury on October 27, 2020, for robbing the two banks and for using a firearm in connection with the bank robberies. They pleaded guilty to the three charges in March of this year.

On July 1, 2021, Carpenter was sentenced to 154 months in prison. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after his prison term is complete and to pay $9,918.00 in restitution to the banks. McPherson, a 21-year-old from Greenville, Alabama, received a sentence of 130 months on July 2, 2021, and was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after his prison term is complete and to pay the same amount in restitution.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, the Crenshaw County Sheriff’s Office, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, and the Greenville Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Bates prosecuted the case.

Carpenter and McPherson’s actions will have consequences that will last a lifetime, and we are committed to holding individuals accountable for their crimes, said Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart.

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