A Minneapolis man plead guilty Monday to the robbery that led to the death of University football player Brandon Hall.

Raymond Hardimon, 23, entered a guilty plea to the sole charge against him: first-degree aggravated robbery. He will be sentenced April 28 in Hennepin County.

While there is no agreement with prosecution on what sentence Hardimon will receive, state guidelines call for approximately six years in prison.

Hardimon’s lawyer, Clayton Tyler, said his client thought his participation was minimal compared to the others, and he thought the judge would consider that during sentencing.

University Law School professor Richard Frase said it would have been difficult to charge Hardimon with murder because Hall’s death occurred after the robbery.

“The only way to get the defendant for felony murder is if the death occurs during the commission of the felony or the flight immediately thereafter,” he said.

Whether Hardimon receives a stricter punishment because the robbery led to a death is a decision left to the sentencing judge.

The theft occurred early in the morning.

Hardimon admitted that he participated in the violent robbery of Damion Haye, also a University footballer, allegedly with Jermaine Stansberry.

According to the criminal complaint: On Sept. 1, Minneapolis police responded to a call of a fight downtown. Officers arrived to find Haye with a cut lip and injuries to his head.

A woman with Haye told police he had been knocked down and robbed of a gold necklace by two men. Haye declined medical or police assistance at the scene.

Approximately 20 minutes after the robbery, police responded to another call involving a group of Haye’s teammates, Stansberry and Hardimon.

When police arrived, the crowd dispersed.

At approximately 2:20 a.m., a witness saw Stansberry, Hardimon and another man near a white van pointing at Haye’s teammates.

The three men ran toward the group. Hall turned and tried to convince the men he was not with the group of football players.

He was shot once in the chest and pronounced dead at the hospital.

Police arrested Hardimon and Stansberry at the scene and found a gold necklace in Stanberry’s pocket that Haye later identified as his.

Police recovered a 9 mm handgun at the scene outside the van and found a 9 mm casing at the scene.

Stansberry was accused of killing Hall hours later. He goes to trial May 12.

Rocky Thompson covers police and crime and welcomes comments at [email protected]