Star Tribune
Man backtracks on plea deal in fatal shooting of teen in Plymouth over luxury sneakers
Against the advice of his attorney, a New Hope man has decided to rescind his agreement to plead guilty in connection with the shooting death of a 17-year-old boy outside a Plymouth apartment complex during a dispute over high-end fashion sneakers.
Hans K. Madave, 21, made his intention known Monday during a hearing in Hennepin County District Court stemming from him being charged with second-degree intentional murder for his alleged role in the Nov. 14, 2022, death of Yaseen T. Johnson, 17, of Albertville, Minn., in the 9700 block of N. 37th Place.
Madave’s attorney, Ira Whitlock, gave the court a heads up in writing a week earlier that he opposed his client’s desire to back out of the plea deal.
“The defendant claims he is not guilty, and the shooting, which ultimately led to the death of the victim, was not reasonably foreseeable as a probable consequence of committing or attempting to commit the intended robbery,” Whitlock wrote.
Madave remains jailed in lieu of $200,000 bail ahead of a May 1 court appearance, when his motion to withdraw his plea will be heard.
The plea agreement filed in November between prosecutors and the defense called for Madave to “testify truthfully against co-defendant” Augustus M. Sirleaf Jr., of Plymouth, who is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and is suspected of being the gunman in the killing.
In exchange, prosecutors had agreed to go below state guidelines and pursue a sentence ranging from 12.5 to no more than 15 years for Madave.
However, the 21-year-old Sirleaf chose not to go on trial, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced on Jan. 2 to a 23-year term. He is expected to serve about 14 1⁄4 years in prison and the balance on supervised release.
The charges said Balenciaga was the brand of the shoes at the center of the rift. Depending on the model, a pair can retail for more than $1,000.
According to the complaints:
Officers arrived at the apartment parking lot and saw a wounded Johnson inside a Buick SUV. A male told the officers he was the driver of the SUV and that he ran when shots were fired.
The driver said he and Johnson came to the parking lot to buy shoes. Two men were there and got in the SUV, the driver said. Sirleaf gave Johnson one of the shoes in exchange for half the money. Sirleaf asked for the shoe back, but Johnson refused and Sirleaf shot him, the driver said.
Officers found one of the sneakers just outside the SUV and the other on the front passenger floorboard.
“This is an area that swings back and forth depending on the election cycle, and it’s an area that really can deliver those decisive votes for candidates in a statewide election,” said Anthony Chergosky, a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse political science professor. “If the Harris-Walz ticket can develop a brand that helps them stop the party’s slide in rural Wisconsin, then that will massively help their path to victory.”
Both presidential campaigns have spent considerable time in Wisconsin. Trump recently visited the state four times in a span of eight days. Harris held rallies in La Crosse and Green Bay earlier this month, and Walz made stops in Eau Claire, Green Bay and Madison. Walz told a crowd gathered at a “Students for Harris-Walz” event in Eau Claire that “it’s very realistic to believe that this race will be won going through Wisconsin.”
Though both campaigns have made frequent visits to the Badger State, their stops appear to be geared toward shoring up their respective bases, retired GOP strategist Brandon Scholz said.
“I think Tim Walz’s job right now in Wisconsin, from what he’s saying and where he’s going and what he’s doing, is, ‘let’s make sure 99 percent of our voters turn out, because we need every single one of them because of how close Wisconsin is,’” Scholz said. “To date, neither he nor Harris have communicated a message to bring in those undecideds, ticket splitters.”
Ryan O’Gara is one of those undecideds. The 47-year-old Christian conservative lives in the village of Downing, some 20 miles northwest of Menomonie and home to about 230 people. O’Gara said he sees mostly Trump signs around his town, but he isn’t a fan of either nominee and likely will sit out this election.
Asked what he thought of Walz, O’Gara referred to him as “far-left.” He said he disagrees with allowing gender-affirming health care services for minors. Walz signed a bill into law last year making Minnesota a refuge for people seeking gender-affirming care.
But then, they were Lutherans.
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“It’s time for a hostage deal and cease-fire that ensures Israel is secure, all hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, freedom, and self-determination,” Walz said on this year’s anniversary of Hamas’ 2023 attacks on Israel.
Polls indicate Minnesota will likely break for Harris, but in states where margins will be much tighter, some protest voters are choosing to vote for Harris despite their reservations.
Roman Fritz of Oconomowoc, Wis., voted early for Harris on Wednesday, he said, even though he remains deeply frustrated with her stance on the war.
Neither he nor Engelhart want to see Trump win. The Uncommitted National Movement has been trying to carve out a middle ground between opposing Trump and supporting Harris, with leaders saying a Trump presidency would be worse for Palestinians, and warning that votes for third-party candidates could result in a win for Trump. But the group declined to offer its endorsement to Harris.
Similarly, Fritz said, he did not feel he should talk his friends into voting for Harris, especially Palestinian American friends who have lost loved ones in Gaza.
“I do want her to win,” Fritz said, but, “I’m not going to campaign for her.”
