Source: Office of United States Attorneys
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Marquine Antonio Benbow, 34, of Charleston, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to armed robbery affecting interstate commerce and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Evidence presented to the court showed that Benbow committed a series of armed robberies and a carjacking. On Aug. 22, 2017, Benbow carjacked a woman at gunpoint and later drove the vehicle to a Circle K in Summerville. Benbow entered the store where he pointed a weapon at the cashier and demanded money. An hour later, Benbow entered a Circle K in Charleston and again demanded money at gunpoint. Benbow left his DNA behind in the carjacked vehicle and video surveillance at the Summerville and Charleston Circle Ks matched his description.
United States District Judge David C. Norton accepted a negotiated resolution and sentenced Benbow to 20 years in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the North Charleston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow is prosecuting the case.
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