ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Court of Appeals has ruled against a man convicted of aiding and abetting 1st degree aggravated robbery.

Emanuel Chol Alfred, 25 of Rochester, was arrested in March 2017 and accused of taking part in an attack and robbery of a man at a party. Authorities say Alfred and others first planned to pay the victim $400 for some marijuana then steal the money back. After an argument over a bet on a game of beer pong, the victim was beaten and robbed of $400.

Alfred was convicted in June 2017 and sentenced in July 2017 to six years and six months in prison, with credit for 126 days already served.

Alfred appealed his conviction, arguing there was insufficient evidence the victim suffered bodily harm during the robbery and, as such, the crime did not qualify as 1st degree aggravated robbery. The victim did not say during the trial that he experienced any pain during the robbery but admitted he was high on drugs at the time and was “caught up in [his] own little world.”

However, other testimony at Alfred’s trial said that the victim was choked from behind, punched, and hit with the bottom of a rifle. The Minnesota Court of Appeals says the jury was within its rights to believe that testimony over the victim’s statements and has upheld Alfred’s conviction and sentence.