Minneapolis Man Sentenced for Masterminding $38K Casino Robbery
Prosecutors have sentenced a Minneapolis man to five-and-a-half years in jail for being the "mastermind" of a brutal heist that left a casino patron terrified for his life in December 2023.
In Washington County District Court on July 21, 54-year-old Shawn Eric Lewis Sr. entered a guilty plea to aiding and abetting first-degree aggravated robbery.
On similar charges, his son Shawn Eric Lewis Jr., who took part in the assault on the 68-year-old victim, was given a 58-month term in June.
Victim Continues to Fear for Their Safety
The victim won almost $38,000 at the Treasure Island Casino in Welch, Minnesota, but he has specifically requested to remain nameless due to persistent concerns for his safety. Early on the morning of December 10, 2023, he departed the casino.
According to court documents, a red pickup truck stopped up as he was getting home at about 2:15 in the morning. After getting out of the car, two men—now known as Shawn Lewis Jr. and Tristin Tyler Jacox Mann—began a vicious attack, hitting and kicking the victim while requesting money.
Witnessing the assault, the victim's fiancée and her niece made an effort to stop it. Prosecutors claim that one of the males grabbed a revolver and threatened to kill them.
The victim had met Philip William Davids Sr., a casino acquaintance, earlier that evening. The victim became suspicious when Davids started to follow him and attempted to flee by going into a bathroom.
Later, investigators discovered a series of phone conversations between Davids, Lewis Sr., and other suspects that connected them to the prearranged heist.
Lewis Sr. served as the conductor
Nick Hydukovich, the head of the criminal division of the Washington County Attorney, claimed that although the elder Lewis was not a direct participant in the assault, he was "the ringleader, the hub."
According to Hydukovich, he was the one who planned surveillance, communicated the victim's location, and planned the movements of other people.
According to the prosecutor, Lewis Sr. was in the vicinity of the victim's residence on the night of the heist because he kept in touch with his son and other conspirators via phone.
Following the assault, the victim helped police apprehend Lewis Jr., Jacox-Mann, and driver Deangelo Romaine Jacox by tailing the red pickup truck in his own car as it attempted to flee.
Lewis Sr.'s SUV was later found to have been following the victim's car as it chased after the red pickup truck, according to traffic camera footage from the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Lewis Sr. has been convicted of first-degree aggravated robbery three times. He was released from prison less than 18 months prior to the December 2023 attack, according to the prosecution.
The sentencing of the other criminals is scheduled for a later time.
