Across Roads and Reckoning, a Robbery Over $40 Ends With a 10-Year Prison Term

In the quiet rhythms of South Carolina’s Lowcountry, a dispute over a seemingly small amount of money spiraled into a violent armed robbery that has now resulted in a decade-long prison sentence for a Lady’s Island man. On Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, 53-year-old Charles Jamie Manigo pleaded guilty to armed robbery and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime — charges stemming from an incident in early 2019 that put both a former co-worker and others at risk.

Prosecutors detailed that the encounter began with a $40 loan Manigo had made to a colleague when they worked together at a local car dealership. Months later, after the debt had not been repaid, Manigo confronted the man on Jan. 3, 2019, while the former co-worker was driving as a tow-truck operator near Beaufort. When the driver saw that Manigo had a handgun in his lap, he attempted to flee, setting off a several-mile chase that ended on St. Helena Island’s Tom Fripp Road.

Once the victim stopped, Manigo approached the vehicle with the firearm and demanded money. Prosecutors said he fired a shot into the air when the victim did not immediately comply, escalating the situation and endangering anyone nearby. Manigo ultimately took $200 from the victim before fleeing the scene, an episode partially captured on video by the victim’s nephew.

On the day his jury trial was to begin, Manigo chose to enter a guilty plea, acknowledging his role in the crime. In Beaufort County General Sessions Court, Circuit Court Judge Robert Bonds sentenced him to 10 years in prison, a term that reflects both the serious nature of the offense and the threat it posed to public safety, according to 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office attorney J.B. Bryant, who prosecuted the case.

The case underscores how quickly a personal dispute — here beginning with a modest loan — can escalate into a violent confrontation with lifelong consequences. For the victim, it was a harrowing ordeal that unfolded on a rural road rather than in an isolated courtroom, and for Manigo, it resulted in a significant period of incarceration. As the sentence begins, local officials and community members may see it as a reminder of the stakes involved when conflicts are met with force rather than peaceful resolution.

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Sources (Credible News)

• Lady’s Island man who robbed, threatened co-worker with gun sent to prison — press release via 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

• Beaufort County man accused of robbing co-worker at gunpoint sentenced — WTOC.

• Lady’s Island man gets 10 years for armed robbery stemming from $40 loan dispute — WJCL.