An Horry County jury convicted a Loris teen on armed robbery and kidnapping charges Friday.
Quartis Naquan Hemingway was found guilty of two counts of armed robbery and two counts of kidnapping, stemming from a January 17, 2014 incident. The 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office says The Honorable Michael Nettles sentenced Hemingway to 18 years in prison without the possibility of parole.
The 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office says Hemingway contacted the victims to sell two cars for scrap metal in exchange for $500 in cash on January 17, 2014. Officials say the group was to meet on Blue Moon Court in Conway.
“Upon arrival at Blue Moon Court for the transaction, the male victim was lured away from his own truck by the [Hemingway] into a wooded area with a promise of seeing the “scrap” vehicles. Once the male victim was out of sight of the female victim, the defendant accosted him, brandishing a revolver handgun and threatening the victim’s life,” a press release said on Friday.
Officials allege Hemingway’s “masked partners” came out of hiding with guns. They claim the three men tied up the victims with duct tape and demanded money, cell phones and jewelry.
“Holding the victims for approximately thirty (30) minutes, the defendants continuously threatened to kill the victims and everyone in the victim’s family if the victims were to contact law enforcement,” officials continued in the press release.
Officials say the men left the scene of the crime and the victims were able to eventually escape.
