KNOXVILLE, Tenn.–Michael Benanti, 44, has been convicted of nearly two-dozen charges related to a multi-state robbery and kidnapping spree that included taking as hostages a number of credit union employees.
Benanti, of Lake Harmony, Penn., was convicted by a jury here of 23 charges, including conspiracy to commit bank extortion, and kidnapping, carjacking and extortion. Benanti faces more than 300 years in prison and will be sentenced July 25, according to the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Benanti, along with his partner in the crimes, Brian Witham, 46, led a year-long spree during 2015 of kidnappings and robberies that began with abducting Matthew Yussman, CFO of Achieve Credit Union in Connecticut, and then went on to include similar crimes in Tennesee (at Y-12 Credit Union) Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Yussman’s story, including the difficult aftermath, can be found here and here. In the kidnappings/robberies, Benanti and Witham confronted credit union and bank employees in their homes and then ordered them to drive to their respective financial institutions to make withdrawals. In all cases other family members were also part of the kidnapping and were held hostage.
Witham had earlier taken a plea deal that caps his sentence at 42 years.