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Man sentenced to 22 years for robbery of home

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indianapolis man was sentenced Tuesday to 22 years in prison after pleading guilty to robbery.

As part of a deal with prosecutors, Michael Bennett pleaded guilty to robbery resulting in serious bodily injury.

On Aug. 1, Bennett and four others were accused of being part of an effort to force their way into a man’s home in the 1700 block of East Pleasant Run Parkway on the city’s southeast side. The five tied up the man and demanded cash, police said. When he didn’t have any money, the suspects took his cellphone and then texted the victim’s ex-girlfriend. The suspects pretended to be the victim, and told the woman a false story that the man needed $300 to $400 or his landlord would be kicking him out.

Bennett was 28 when police asked for help to locate him in August.

The ex-girlfriend showed up to East Pleasant Run Parkway to help. Once she stepped inside the house, she realized she made a mistake, and the suspects, according to police, restrained her with zip ties, placed her in a stranglehold and sat her beside her ex-boyfriend who had been restrained with zip ties as well. The two were beaten and attacked multiple times over several hours. The suspects made withdrawals from the woman’s account, one for $500 the other for $1,000.

Police said after the four got the cash, they dropped the victim off at a convenience store, and they let her ex-boyfriend escape and go next door to call for help.

The remaining suspect, Meg Thompson, is scheduled to have a jury trial on July 31.

Three others already have been prosecuted:

Jason Monohan was found guilty during a 2016 bench trial and sentenced to 30 years in prison for robbery, kidnapping and criminal confinement.

Katrina Grider pleaded guilty to robbery and criminal confinement and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Anthony Vaughn Doss pleaded guilty to robbery and criminal confinement. He was sentenced in February to eight years in prison.

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