A jury found Victoria's Jacob Dwight Davis, 22, guilty of aggravated robbery and sentenced him to 60 years in prison and to pay a $10,000 fine.
A judge stacked another 10 years onto the man's sentence because Davis committed the crime while on probation for tampering with evidence and possessing a controlled substance.
In March, Davis emptied a revolver outside a local grocery store. He then visited a friend with two juveniles and a female cousin. The group walked to Maximus, a local Ben Wilson Street strip club.
Once there, "Davis harassed two women who worked there and tried to steal the doorman's tip jar," said Victoria County District Attorney Steve Tyler, who prosecuted Davis.
Davis then pointed the gun to the doorman's face and pulled the trigger three times, Tyler said. But the gun was empty.
Davis then entered the club and tried to empty the cash register. In doing so, he pointed the pistol at a woman and pulled the trigger.
"The message here is that, regardless of your social station, employment or neighborhood, Victorians believe in equal protection under the law," Tyler said. "Violent crime will not be tolerated in Victoria County."
Once strip club patrons and employees realized Davis' gun was empty they chased him to a nearby apartment complex where police later found him.
Police found the gun the next day.
"I think that this vindicates the rights of the victims," Tyler said. "I think that speaks loud and clear about their rights."
Tyler said Davis had a violent juvenile record, which continued into adulthood.
"He is beyond rehabilitation," Tyler said.
It took the eight-woman, four-man jury 40 minutes to find Davis guilty, and a little more than two hours to sentence him.
In addition, Davis will be placed on two-year probation following his sentence.
Gabe Semenza is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6519 or gsemenza@vicad.com, or comment on this story at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.