Minneapolis Man Sentenced for Masterminding $38K Casino Robbery
Posted on: July 23, 2025, 05:45h.
Last updated on: July 23, 2025, 10:05h.
- Ringleader coordinated violent attack on $38K casino winner
- Victim followed attackers, helped lead to quick arrests
- Traffic footage, calls linked mastermind to robbery scheme
A Minneapolis man, described by prosecutors as the “mastermind” behind a violent robbery in December 2023 that left a casino-goer fearing for his life has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison.
Shawn Eric Lewis Sr., 54, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting first-degree aggravated robbery in Washington County District Court on July 21.
His son, Shawn Eric Lewis Jr., who participated in the attack on the 68-year-old victim, was sentenced to 58 months in June on similar charges.
Victim Still Fears for Safety
The victim, who has specifically asked to remain anonymous, citing ongoing fear for his safety, won more than $38K at the Treasure Island Casino in Welch, Minn. He left the casino in the early hours of Dec. 10, 2023.
As he returned home at around 2:15 am, a red pickup truck pulled up, according to court filings. Two men, now identified as Shawn Lewis Jr. and Tristin Tyler Jacox‑Mann, exited the vehicle and launched a brutal assault, punching and kicking the victim while demanding cash.
The victim’s girlfriend and her niece witnessed the attack and attempted to intervene. One of the men pulled a gun and threatened to kill them, according to prosecutors.
Earlier that night, the victim encountered Philip William Davids Sr., an acquaintance from the casino. When Davids began following him, the victim became suspicious and went into a restroom to try to get away.
Authorities later uncovered a flurry of phone calls between Davids, Lewis Sr., and other suspects, linking them to the planned robbery.
Lewis Sr. was the Orchestrator
While the elder Lewis didn’t directly participate in the assault, Nick Hydukovich, head of the Washington County Attorney’s criminal division, argued he was “the ringleader, the hub.”
He was the one who organized surveillance, relayed the victim’s location, and orchestrated the movement of others, according to Hydukovich.
The prosecutor said Lewis Sr. maintained phone contact with his son and other accomplices, which placed him near the victim’s home on the night of the robbery.
After the attack, the victim tailed the red pick-up truck in his own vehicle as it tried to get away and was able to alert police, who eventually arrested Lewis Jr., Jacox-Mann, and driver Deangelo Romaine Jacox.
Later, Minnesota Department of Transportation traffic-camera footage confirmed an SUV owned by Lewis Sr. had been following the victim’s vehicle as it pursued the red pick-up truck.
This is Lewis Sr.’s third conviction for first-degree aggravated robbery. Prosecutors said he was released from prison less than 18 months before the December 2023 attack.
The others involved in the crime are due to be sentenced at a later date.
Last Comment ( 1 )
When you win big get an escort from the casino to your car. Then don’t go home, these crooks look for big winners so they can rob them. Father and son bums! Brutal, guy has a great day and punished for it by thugs.