From staff reports
A Lady’s Island man who robbed a co-worker at gunpoint in a dispute over a $40 loan has been sent to prison.
On the day his jury trial was to begin, Charles Jamie Manigo, 53, instead pleaded guilty as indicted Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, to armed robbery and possession of a weapon during commission of a violent crime. He was sentenced 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.”
Manigo and one of the victims were former co-workers at a local car dealership. Manigo loaned the man $40.
Several months later, the debt had not been repaid. On Jan. 3, 2019, Manigo encountered the victim, who was working another job as a tow-truck driver, at a stoplight in the city of Beaufort. The victim sped away when he saw Manigo had a gun in his lap.
Manigo then chased after him several miles until the victim pulled over on St. Helena Island’s Tom Fripp Road. Manigo then approached the victim’s vehicle while armed with a handgun and demanded money. He shot into the air when the victim did not immediately comply. Manigo ultimately took $200 before leaving the scene.
The victim’s nephew was present during the incident and recorded part of the encounter.
Circuit Court Judge Robert Bonds handed down the sentence during Beaufort County General Sessions Court.
Bryant is a Beaufort County team attorney. He has worked for the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office since 2025.
