Louisville brothers charged again in 2016 shooting of mail carrier

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) – Two Louisville men have been once again charged in the shooting of a postal worker after charges against the pair were initially dismissed.

Eric and Marcus Bennett were charged with conspiracy to murder and attempted murder of a federal employee, forcible assault of a federal employee, as well as conspiracy to distribute heroin and marijuana.

Marcus Bennett was arrested Wednesday. Marcus Bennett appeared before a judge where he faced four of seven charges in a superseding indictment, which was unsealed Thursday.

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Eric Bennett, who was arrested back on February 27, faces additional charges including the discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and use or possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The recently unsealed superseding indictment includes those charges but adds four new charges: conspiracy to murder and attempted murder of a federal employee, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, use or possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and a drug trafficking charge.

The Bennett brothers are accused of shooting mail carrier, Da'Ron Lester, on February 10. The duo was accused of being together in the car from which shots were fired at the mail carrier about 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 10, 2016, but court video shows Marcus Bennett at the Jefferson County Judicial Center at 10:23 a.m. that same day. Eric Bennett, who was accused of pulling the trigger, is seen on a court tape at 11:24 a.m., less than an hour after the shooting.

Jaliyah Young, also of Louisville, is charged, along with the Bennett brothers, with conspiracy to distribute heroin and marijuana. According to the indictment, starting in June 2015 through April 2017, the trio conspired with each other to possess with the intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and marijuana in Jefferson County.

If convicted the Bennett brothers face a sentence of any number of years in prison including life for conspiracy to murder a federal employee,  but no more than 20 years for each count of attempted murder of a federal employee and forcible assault of a federal employee.

Eric Bennett faces 10 additional years in prison for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, no more than 10 years in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and no less than 25 years in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The brothers could be sentenced to a five-year term of supervised release and ordered to pay a fine.

On the conspiracy to distribute heroin and marijuana charges, all three face no less than 10 years but up to life in prison and may be ordered to serve 5 years of supervised release.

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