McWilliams Gets Three-Year Prison Sentence for Role in Beating, Robbery

A 20-year-old Eagan man who beat and then robbed a man during a drug deal setup was sentenced to three years in prison with credit for 241 days already served, according to Minnesota court records.

Paul Earnest McWilliams Jr., one of two Eagan men police say were involved in the robbery, originally pleaded not guilty to charges of felony first-degree aggravated robbery and felony second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. But last October, McWilliams entered an amended guilty plea on the aggravated robbery charge.

He was sentenced at a court hearing on March 29. The assault charge against McWilliams was dismissed.

Police say McWilliams and another Eagan resident, Joey James Brown, 18, were approached by the victim in the parking lot of an Eagan apartment complex. The victim allegedly asked the two if they had any marijuana he could purchase.

Police say the victim returned to the parking lot later, after receiving a text message from Brown and McWilliams.

As he talked to the two men, a third man, described as a black male with tattoos, came up behind the victim, put a gun to his head and told him to hand over all his money, according to the complaint.

The unidentified man allegedly became angry when he couldn't find anything in the victim's pockets, and repeatedly punched and pistol-whipped the victim.

Police say Brown, McWilliams and the unidentified man then escorted the victim to a bank, where McWilliams took the victim's debit card and withdrew $300.

When questioned, McWilliams allegedly told officers that he, too, was a victim in the robbery. But Brown, when interviewed, said the incident was a setup; he and McWilliams called the third man and told him to come to the apartments and pretend to rob all three men.

Brown, who also pleaded not guilty to aggravated robbery and assault charges, is scheduled to go to trial on July 1, 2013.