POUGHKEEPSIE – What possessed four men to attack a random victim in Dover has come to light. Four men from Dover were arraigned in Dutchess County Court on Monday after a grand jury handed up a 25-count indictment with the top charge of felony armed robbery as a hate crime. All four men entered pleas of not guilty. One of the defendants made a death threat to a person in court during the hearing.
The men, Joshua Benson, 40, Nicholas Gast, 34, Joshua Benson Jr., 23, and Darius Robinson, 19, are accused of multiple felonies with the armed robbery as a hate crime being the top count.
According to documents filed by the District Attorney’s Office, Gast told the other three men that he had been assaulted by “Mexicans,” and wanted to seek revenge by assaulting someone of Mexican descent, even if they weren’t responsible for the assault on Gast. He then encouraged his co-defendants to join him in the assault.
On December 6, 2021, the four men walked to a Market Street residence in Dover where they saw a Latino man who resided at the house. He was selected as the target of Gast’s revenge, police said because he appeared to be of Mexican descent.
Defendants Benson, Benson Jr., and Robinson repeatedly punched the man and tackled him when he tried to get back in his house. During the assault, prosecutors say that Gast pointed a 9 mm pistol at the victim and demanded his money. Benson went through the man’s pockets but found no money.
Hearing the commotion, a second Latino male exited the residence and Gast immediately pointed the gun at him, and demanded money. Benson allegedly punched the second victim in the head. He is also accused of taking two necklaces from the victim.
The state says that Gast, still carrying the gun, joined Benson and forced the door of the residence open. Gast fired a shot into the dwelling and Benson took a cell phone holder. The four men then fled the scene. They were apprehended after an intensive State Police investigation.
The two victims of the assault were both born in Guatemala, the most populous country in Central America.
