Rochester Man Sentenced in Assault Involving Gun

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man with a history of domestic violence has been sentenced to just under four years in prison for an incident involving a gun.

Alford Plea Entered in Case

Forty-year-old James Robert Conway Jr. entered an Alford plea to a second-degree assault charge through a plea agreement last November. An Alford plea means he does not admit guilt but acknowledges there is sufficient evidence to convict him. In exchange for the plea, Olmsted County prosecutors dismissed charges of illegal possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a crime of violence, felony fifth-degree assault, and first-degree damage to property.

Rochester Police Responded to Report of Assault

According to the criminal complaint, Conway was arrested in January 2024 after Rochester police responded to a report of an assault at an apartment in northeast Rochester. The court document says the officers spoke with a woman who stated that she was visiting and drinking alcohol at a friend’s home when Conway, who was the friend’s boyfriend, entered the residence and yelled at her to leave.

Accused of Brandishing Handgun

The victim told police that Conway then began waving a handgun around. Fearing that she might be shot, the victim stated that she started recording Conway with her phone and that he responded by grabbing her hand, taking her phone, and breaking it by throwing it at a wall.

The criminal complaint says Conway then allegedly grabbed her by the neck and threw her on the couch. She then fled from the apartment and called police to report the assault.

Get our free mobile app

Two Guns Found

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

Criminal History

Conway’s criminal history includes felony convictions for assault, domestic assault, and first-degree burglary. He was sent to St. Cloud State Prison last November after he entered the Alford plea, when a judge ordered him to serve a previously stayed two-year prison sentence for a felony domestic assault conviction stemming from an incident in 2021.