Beaufort Co. man accused of robbing co-worker at gunpoint sentenced to prison

BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - A Lady’s Island man who was accused of robbing a co-worker at gunpoint in a dispute over $40 has been sent to prison.

On Monday, December 15, Charles Jamie Manigo, 53, pleaded guilty to armed robbery and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime instead of standing trial.

Circuit Court Judge Robert Bonds sentenced Manigo to 10 years in prison.

“This was a dangerous and brazen crime that put multiple people at risk,” said J.B. Bryant of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, who prosecuted the case. “The defendant chose to escalate a minor dispute into an armed robbery, and the 10-year sentence reflects the seriousness of that conduct and the threat it posed to the community.”

His charges stem from the January 3, 2019, robbery of a former co-worker.

Court officials say Manigo and one of the victims were former co-workers at a local car dealership, and at one time Manigo loaned him $40.

Several months after loaning the man $40, Manigo, a tow-truck driver, saw him at a stoplight in Beaufort and began chasing him for several miles until the victim pulled over on St. Helena Island’s Tom Fripp Road.

Officials then say Manigo approached the victim’s vehicle while armed with a gun and demanded money.

When he got to the car, they say Manigo shot the air when the victim did not immediately comply and took $200 before leaving the scene.