Prison Sentence Expected After Plea Deal For Rochester Assault

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man with a history of domestic violence has entered into a plea agreement that is expected to result in a prison sentence.

The plea agreement stems from a response by Rochester police to a report of an assault at a northeast Rochester apartment in late January of last year. Court documents indicate the responding officers spoke with a woman who stated that she was visiting and drinking alcohol at a friend's apartment when her boyfriend, identified as 39-year-old James Robert Conway Jr., entered the residence and began yelling at her and ordering her to leave.

Photo by Andy Brownell TSM Rochester

The Victim Told Police She Feared She Would be Shot

The criminal complaint alleges that Conway then began waving a handgun around. The victim, who told police she feared she might be shot, began recording Conway with her phone. She stated that he responded by grabbing her hand, taking her phone, and breaking it by throwing it at a wall.

She then alleged that Conway grabbed her by the neck and threw her onto the couch. The woman told police that she fled from the apartment and called police to report the assault.

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Search Warrant Leads to Discovery of Two Firearms

A police spokesperson indicated that the responding officers executed a search warrant at the residence and located two handguns. One was a .22-caliber weapon and the other was a 9mm firearm.

Conway was charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, felony fifth-degree assault, first-degree damage to property, and illegal possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a crime of violence.

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Details of Conway’s Charges and Criminal History

Under the terms of his plea deal, Conway entered an Alford plea to the second-degree assault charge in exchange for the dismissal of the other counts. An Alford plea means he does not admit guilt but acknowledges there is sufficient evidence to support a conviction.

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His criminal history includes felony convictions for assault, domestic assault, and first-degree burglary. Conway is scheduled to be sentenced in February.

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