Apple Valley Woman And Farmington Man Sentenced For Armed Robbery Of Northfield Hotel

MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier today in federal court in St. Paul, a 23-year-old Apple Valley woman was sentenced in connection with the armed robbery of America’s Best Value Inn and Suites in Northfield. United States District Court Judge Paul A. Magnuson sentenced Julie Ann Campana to 36 months in prison on one count of aiding and abetting interference with commerce by robbery. Campana was indicted on December 3, 2012, and pleaded guilty on April 2, 2013.

On July 17, 2013, Campana’s co-defendant Eric Wayne Forcier, age 27, of Farmington, was sentenced to 240 months on two counts of interference with commerce by robbery pursuant to the Hobbs Act; one count of using, carrying, possessing and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He also pleaded guilty on April 2, 2013.

In his plea agreement, Forcier admitted that on October 29, 2012, he entered the hotel wearing a Halloween mask, pointed a handgun at the night manager, and demanded money from the cash register and the safe. After receiving $114, he ran outside to an awaiting vehicle. Shortly after the car left the scene, police stopped it and arrested Campana, the driver. Forcier fled from police, discharging his handgun, but was arrested later in the day. Officers recovered items from the vehicle as well as along the path that Forcier took in running from the police. Those items included the Halloween mask and a .32-caliber, semi-automatic pistol.

Forcier also admitted robbing four other businesses. On October 22, 2012, he stole $1,850 from Eddy’s Bar & Grill in Inver Grove Heights. He admittedly entered the bar, pointed a handgun at several employees, and fired it at the ceiling. On October 15, 2012, he stole $60 from an Apple Valley Domino’s Pizza; on October 18, 2012, he stole $154.41 from a Bloomington SuperAmerica; and on October 19, 2012, he stole $200 from an Apple Valley Jiffy Lube.

Because he is a felon, Forcier is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms at any time. His prior Dakota County convictions include second-degree drug possession (2008), possession of stolen property (2008), two counts of fifth-degree drug possession (2007), and fleeing police in a motor vehicle (2007).

In her plea agreement, Campana admitted she was the lookout and get-away driver for Forcier on October 29. Campana also admitted that before the robbery, she questioned the hotel’s night manager about the hotel’s nighttime operations. In addition, Campana admitted she was Forcier’s get-away driver for the robberies at Eddy’s, SuperAmerica, and Domino’s.

The Hobbs Act, passed by Congress in 1946, allows federal prosecutors to prosecute individuals who commit armed robberies of businesses engaged in interstate commerce.

This case was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office; the Rice County Sheriff’s Office; and the police departments of Apple Valley, Bloomington, Inver Grove Heights and Northfield. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amber M. Brennan and Allen A. Slaughter.