A St. Paul man is heading to jail after punching a nationally known comedian in the face at a bar on University Avenue and taking off with his wallet.
Anthony Charles Deberry, 36, was ordered to serve 90 days in jail when a Ramsey County District Court judge sentenced him at a hearing last week, according to court records.
He also received a 10-year stayed prison sentence so long as he follows the terms of his probation, which include receiving a chemical health assessment and undergoing mental health programming.
Josh Blue, a St. Paul native, was in town for a gig at the Joke Joint Comedy Club when he and some acquaintances stopped in at Hot Rods Bar & Grill on University Avenue around 9 p.m. last July 17.
Two hours later, while Blue was in the bathroom, Deberry approached him, punched him twice in the face with a closed fist, and fled with his wallet.
A bar employee told police that Deberry, a regular at the establishment, was the assailant.
A woman walking her dog in the area the next day found Blue’s wallet with his cash missing, according to the complaint.
Deberry was arrested shortly thereafter.
He pleaded guilty to the simple robbery charge in February after reaching a plea deal with the state. He previously faced one count of first-degree aggravated robbery but that charge was dismissed as part of the agreement.
Neither he nor his public defender could be immediately reached for comment.
Hot Rods recently closed, and the three-story building is now up for sale.
The bar had drawn negative attention from the St. Paul Police Department before, including an incident in September 2016 where an undercover police officer was allowed to leave the building with an open alcoholic beverage.
In a separate incident that October, a man wanted by St. Paul police on an outstanding gross misdemeanor warrant was arrested in a surveillance operation after leaving the bar with the night manager, whom he was reportedly dating. Police said he had brought an alcoholic beverage with him outside the establishment and into his car.
Bar managers said at the time they felt targeted by the city, and they felt city officials were trying to clean up the area in advance of the opening of the Major League Soccer stadium under construction across the street.
Frederick Melo contributed to this report.