Man shot in alleged robbery setup by bartender, accomplices in St. Paul has died

A man shot outside a bar during a robbery attempt outside a St. Paul bar last month has died, nearly one month after he suffered grave injuries in the plot that allegedly involved a setup by the bartender and others surveilling him before attempting to steal the thousands in cash he carried, charges say.

St. Paul police said that Oscar Lee Covington, 42, of Brooklyn Park, died Tuesday from his injuries after he was removed from life support following the Oct. 30 shooting outside Born’s Bar at 899 Rice St. in the North End neighborhood.

Charging documents against multiple people alleged to have been involved in the robbery suggest that Covington was robbed and shot as a result of a quickly unfolding scheme organized in part by the bartender, Erica Hampton, 41, of St. Paul. She is charged with aiding an offender after the fact while a codefendant, Edward D. Robinson, is charged with first-degree riot and two counts of first-degree aggravated robbery — counts that were filed before Covington died.

According to the complaints, officers responded to Born’s Bar at around 5:45 p.m. on Oct. 30 for a shooting. There they found Covington on the ground in front of the bar. A bullet pierced his navel, and he told police that a man tried to rob him before shooting him.

Medics brought Covington to Regions Hospital where he told police that he was drinking at Born’s Bar before the shooting. Hampton overpoured drinks for Covington, and he paid using some of the $4,500 in cash he carried with him that day to buy a “little bike.” He said a short guy approached him for a cigarette outside the bar, and four to six people stood near him. Covington noticed that they wore hoods over their heads despite the warm weather, so he threw visual reality goggles he was carrying into of his vehicle.

That’s when the short man said “this ain’t what you’re looking for” and Covington claimed the group attacked. They fought behind Covington’s car, ripping money and jewelry from the man’s pockets. Then he heard someone yell to shoot him, and he felt searing pain in his stomach.

Despite immediate surgery, Covington’s condition worsened in the hospital. Covington’s wife said on Nov. 1 that fluid collected on his lungs and blood gathered in his stomach. He went into cardiac arrest, and was revived and placed on life support to relieve pressure to his heart and lungs. But at 12:54 a.m. Tuesday, Covington’s wife told investigators that he died after being removed from life support.

Investigators collected a handgun, bullet casing, broken necklaces, a wallet, two phones, and surveillance footage from the scene. That footage captured two of the robbers get into a Toyota Camry registered to one of the bartenders.

That bartender, Hampton, told police that she did not know the people involved in Covington’s robbery. But authorities soon realized that the phone and wallet belong to Robinson — the father of Hampton’s child.

Investigators searched phone records and found that Hampton called Robinson at around 4 p.m. on Oct. 30, minutes after Covington entered Born’s Bar. Robinson also spoke with his son, a cousin, and another man who have yet to be charged.

By 5:37 p.m., Robinson and three other men gathered at the bar. One man messaged Robinson that Covington seemed scared to leave the bar, suggesting the group was tracking the man’s movements.

Investigators say Robinson began assaulting Covington in the bar’s parking lot at 5:45 p.m. The others joined in the fight while grabbing money that fell from Covington’s pockets. Surveillance footage shows one of the men put a gun to Covington’s torso and fire, sending him to the ground as others scattered.

That footage also captured a woman picking up Robinson’s hat to return it to him. That woman returned moments later to pick up some of Covington’s money from the ground. Two people left the scene in Hampton’s Toyota Camry.

Analysis connected a bullet casing on the scene to a 2022 shooting in Milwaukee. Authorities tied an old Milwaukee address to Robinson’s cousin, who authorities believe has fled Minnesota for Wisconsin.

Police arrested Robinson and Hampton on Nov. 21. Hampton told investigators that Covington and Robinson fought before because Covington called Robinson a snitch.

Hampton denied tipping off people about money Covington brought to the bar, and denied setting him up. She admitted that her son was in surveillance footage leading up to the shooting, but denied contacting Robinson that day.

Hampton was previously convicted for a drug violation and second-degree burglary. Robinson was convicted for third-degree assault, terroristic threatening, and a federal drug charge that earned him a 13-year sentence.

Covington’s death marks the 30th homicide in St. Paul this year, according to a Minnesota Star Tribune database. There were 29 by this time last year.