A Madison County grand jury indicted Charlie Bennett for arson and insurance fraud in December. A video allegedly shows a man wearing a Bennett Landscaping" shirt pouring what appears to be fuel all over the interior of an excavator before he allegedly set it on fire. The video is posted below.
The alleged arson took place on October 14, 2023 at a property owned by Bennett on Hawkins-Thompson Lane in Madison County. An alleged victim reported the arson to the Madison County Sheriff's Office.
Madison County deputies arrived at the scene and initiated an arson investigation. JJ obtained a copy of the police report through a public records request. The police report states:
On Saturday, October 14, 2023 I, Deputy Kyle Millican was dispatched to 246 Hawkins-Thompson Lane in reference to arson. Upon arrival, I met with xxxx who advised that he leases his property from a subject, Charles Bennett. XXXXX stated that Bennett has been trying to get him off of the lease, and has been doing things to make him vacate the property XXXX advised that he received a call from Investigator Connor Smith last night. Investigator Smith advised him that Bennett called and told him that he had burned some of XXXX's lumber during the night, and asked how much trouble he would be in. XXXX stated he then came to the property, and saw that the lumber was on fire. XXXX contacted the Fire Department, and Fire was able to distinguish the fire. XXXX advised that approximately $5000.00 worth of lumber had been destroyed by the fire, or the diesel fluid that Bennett poured on the wood. XXXX advised that EOC had also been out, and advised of the situation in reference to the burn ban. XXXX advised me that Fire told him that they had to cut the lock on the gate to get onto the property. XXXX stated that someone would have had to light the fire, and then leave and lock the gate behind them. XXXX advised the only people that know the combination to the lock are him, his dad, and Bennett. I contacted Arson Investigator Joel Evans in reference to the situation. Investigator Evans advised XXXX that he would follow up with Investigator Smith in reference to what Bennett told him on the phone call. I provided XXXX with a case card for future reference.
Madison deputies investigated and reported more information about the alleged crime:
Assistant District Attorney Ashley Allen presented the case to the Madison County grand jury. The grand jury indicted Bennett on December 8, 2023 for arson of insured property and Third Degree Arson. The indictment charges:
CHARLES BENNETT, on or about the 5th day of April, 2023, in the county aforesaid and within the jurisdiction of this Court, did unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously, with the intent to defraud Builders Mutual Insurance Company, caused to be burned, or procured the burning of a CMI175 mulcher, the personal property of Bennett Landscaping, which at the time was insured by Builders Mutual Insurance Company against loss or damage by fire,...
CHARLES BENNETT, on or about the 13th day of October, 2023, in the county aforesaid and within the jurisdiction of this Court, did willfully, unlawfully, maliciously and feloniously set fire to or burn personal property belonging to another person, Hade Chase Allen, ....
The case is assigned to Judge Steve Ratcliff. Judge Ratcliff set Bennett's trial for May 13. Attorney Rick Mitchell represents the defendant .
27 comments:
I thought I had read in the report that he is from Rankin County but then I read on the Sheriff Dept report that he has all his teeth. I was obviously reading too fast at first.
But how damned stupid do you have to be to think anybody will believe these pieces of equipment would spontaneously combust? Can't believe the insurance people paid off the first loss without suspecting arson.
Mighty young - Hope he did not breed.
Would someone please give me the Cliff Notes version?
Been a long time coming!
A real red neck crime. Was he originally from Rankin County? Does he do landscaping in a bikini too?
Honestly surprised the accused firebug wasn't showing his plumber's crack.
It was a blue collar crime
a firebug-
We're moving on to bigger, and better things. The trooper was just XXX, now we are doing XXXX. This is getting gooder, and gooder.
No matter how bad you want to change, merely living in Madison County does not take the Mississippi redneck out of you. But hopefully pointing fingers at another county helps you feel better about yourself.
Clear video is about the ONLY way to prove arson and convict.
These mulchers burn all of the time.
But, its generally due to debris catching fire in and under the engine compartment. Not, because some idiot redneck decides he's mad at the A/C.
I hope they send this bastard to Parchman.
Pretty sure just pouring the diesel on the ground was a major environemntal violation, even before he allegedly scored the daily double of arson and insurance fraud.
That the act is on video with his name on the shirt is chef-kiss!
Why can't we have nice things in the 'Sip?
Charlie has been running that mouth and f'ing people over for far too long. Looks like karma has finally come back to bite him. Let's see if daddy and his "friend who is a judge" is going to get you out of trouble now!!!!!!! He, his mouth and his snapchat are his own worst enemy!
At 3:16 - Let me know the next time you see a freezer in Madison County, roadside, turned over and used as a county garbage container. $200 reward. Don't back over your freezer getting over that way to look.
$400 reward for a meth lab.
$600 for a naked trooper - male or female.
To be a little more accurate, he does not live in Madison the City. He has a CANTON address, a suburb of Pearl.
2.04.Almost everyone in Madison was originally from Rankin County.
I'ma think he will need a new insurance agent to get him coverage with a different company, and that might not be the easiest thing to do at the moment.
If he has any other equipment financed, then the lienholder probably doesn't think the insurance is optional; hope he can come up with the nut to pay it off and own it free and clear, or he likely won't be having it in his possession much longer.
Congratulations kid. You just graduated.
@ 4:28 - I'm sure there might be some, but I never lived in Niknar and don't know anybody in Madison who DID.
Publish your survey when you have time.
There are Madison haters in these comments. You mad, bro?
I hope this POS goes straight to CMCF for a very long time.
No way! If he had been from Niknar he would have been wearing a Grateful Dead T.
So his attorney also doubles as a Madison "the city" judge
Bet we can guess where this will go
Daddy will repay the insurance company and The " Torch" will go free
How dumb does one have to be?
Anyone who knows him, knows what type of person he is. Nobody is surprised at all. Con artists will be con artists.
9:21 hammer meet nail. If you know him, you know.
That was Tommy’s dozer. He’s gunna be pissed.
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