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Matt Yussman, a credit union executive in Bristol, Connecticut, became the victim of a criminal conspiracy in 2015. Two men held Yusman and his mother hostage in their home. Yusman was strapped with a fake bomb to his chest and was told to withdraw $1 million from his bank account or a bomb placed under his mother's bed would explode.
Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode, titled A Villainous Plan, delves deep into this case. The episode sheds light on the planning of the crime, the incident with Matt Yussman and his mother, and the subsequent investigation.
In this episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered, Matt Yussman shares details about the horrific ordeal he faced. He also explains how he was presented as a suspect during the investigation and the mental and legal struggles he faced afterward.
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Dateline Secrets Uncovered: A Villainous Plan is set to air on April 24, 2025, on Oxygen at 9 pm EST.
Dateline Secrets Uncovered: A Villainous Plan - All about the incident faced by Matt Yussman
According to ABC News, the incident took place on February 23, 2015, in Bristol, Connecticut, when two masked criminals, Michael Benanti and Brian Witham, broke into Matt Yussman's home and held him and his mother, Valerie Yussman, hostage overnight.
As per NBC, Matt said:
“The 12 hours were just awful, being held at gun point, seeing my mom held at gun point going through all the trauma was just intense, but it was over in 12 hours. For the next nine months I was considered a suspect.”
The criminals reportedly tied them up and threatened them, claiming that they had bombs. They asked Yusman to withdraw $1 million from his place of work, Achieve Financial Credit Union, and give it to them.
As per BDN, when Yusman arrived at the bank, he explained his situation to bank employees and the police, after which the police discovered the bomb was fake. The criminals fled the scene, and the police attempted to apprehend them.
However, during the investigation, Yusman faced suspicion, but it was later proven that Benanti and Witham had committed similar crimes in several states. It was also revealed in this case that the criminals had selected their targets by using social media and publicly available information.
Michael Benanti sentenced to four life terms and 155 additional years
According to AP News, Michael Benanti was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences plus an additional 155 years in federal court in Knoxville, Tennessee, on July 18, 2017. He was convicted of 23 felony charges, including bank extortion conspiracy, kidnapping, carjacking, and use of firearms in violent crimes.
As per AP News, Matt Yussman testified in court during the sentencing and asked for Benanti to be given the maximum sentence of 300 years. He submitted a letter to the court in which he described the horrific experience that night and the mental trauma of being investigated as a suspect afterward.
Benanti's accomplice, Brian Witham, pleaded guilty in 2016 and was sentenced to 42 years. Witham testified against Benanti, helping to secure Benanti's conviction.
Charges are still pending in Yusman's case in Connecticut, but Benanti's conviction in Tennessee brings the case to a close, as per the reports.
To find out more about the case, viewers can watch Dateline Secrets Uncovered: A Villainous Plan, airing on Oxygen, at 9 pm EST on Wednesdays.
