MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - Norman Benjamin, a former Memphis Police sergeant, was sentenced to eight years in prison for a litany of charges that involved lying to his fellow officers, a murder-for-hire plot and a secret teenage girlfriend.
Benjamin had been charged with solicitation to commit first degree murder, delivering a controlled substance to a minor, false reporting of criminal attempted murder, felony reckless endangerment, and providing a handgun to a juvenile.
While still employed with the Memphis Police Department, Benjamin reported he was shot by an unknown Hispanic suspect while on duty Labor Day weekend. Police Director Toney Armstrong later said investigators believed Benjamin misled them and he actually had been shot during a domestic argument by a woman. The woman, a relative of Benjamin's underage lover, was charged with attempted second-degree murder, but those charges were later dropped after the District Attorney's office said it had no evidence to support the charges. As the shooting was investigated further, it was revealed that Benjamin's gunshot wound was self-inflicted.
Further investigation uncovered an alleged murder-for-hire plot by Benjamin to have his underage girlfriend's new boyfriend killed. Benjamin, whose wife has since filed for divorce, was also accused of giving the same teen girl a handgun and prescription drugs.
At the February 8, 2012 hearing, Judge Paula Skahan stated Benjamin's behavior was "outrageous, it's absolutely outrageous."
Benjamin told the judge, "I let everyone down … I'm sorry for my actions and the trust I violated."
Norman Benjamin will be eligible for parole after serving two years of his sentence.
