Three Charged After Police Say Man Was Robbed At Gunpoint During Money Dispute In La Porte
Syan Leigh Risley, 35, of La Porte, along with Marcus Lebron Havis-Lewis Jr., 24, of Michigan City, and Daivion Keimil Washington, 24, of Michigan City, have been charged in LaPorte Circuit Court after police say a man was robbed at gunpoint during a confrontation over money.
According to a probable cause affidavit, on March 12, 2026 officers with the La Porte Police Department were dispatched to Jefferson Avenue for a report of an active robbery. Officers arrived and were flagged down by Washington while another man and Risley were also present.
Police say Risley told officers that her boyfriend had been stealing money from her phone for several weeks by transferring funds from her account to his own. She reported the amount totaled thousands of dollars and that approximately $300 had been transferred back to her earlier that day through Apple Pay.
According to investigators, Risley told police she contacted a friend in Michigan City who sent Washington and Havis-Lewis to La Porte to help her retrieve the money because she did not want to confront her boyfriend alone.
Police say Washington and Havis-Lewis went to a residence on Gary Court and confronted the man about the money. During the confrontation, approximately $300 was transferred to Risley through Apple Pay. The man reportedly claimed the remaining money was in the possession of another person who lived on Jefferson Avenue.
Investigators say the group then went to the Jefferson Avenue residence to confront that person about the remaining funds.
Police later spoke with the alleged victim who reported that two men entered his bedroom while one wearing a red hoodie and black mask pointed an AR-15 style rifle at him. The victim told police the second man went through his pockets and removed his phone while Risley directed the suspects to additional phones in the room.
The victim said he was forced to send approximately $300 to Risley through Apple Pay while the firearm was pointed at him. He also reported the man holding the rifle poked him in the chest multiple times with the weapon and threatened that if he left the residence they would find him and “put a bullet in him.”
During the investigation, officers located a black AR-15 style rifle with gold-colored components inside Washington’s vehicle after he consented to a search.
Police say statements from those involved and the recovery of the firearm led investigators to believe Risley arranged for Washington and Havis-Lewis to confront the victim and directed them during the incident while the victim was forced to transfer money at gunpoint.
All 3 suspects are currently lodged in the Laporte County Jail.
Charges filed March 13,2026:
Syan Leigh Risley
• Armed Robbery (Aiding, Inducing, or Causing an Offense) — Level 3 Felony
Marcus Lebron Havis-Lewis Jr.
• Armed Robbery — Level 3 Felony
• Criminal Confinement While Armed With a Deadly Weapon — Level 3 Felony
• Intimidation: Draws or Uses a Deadly Weapon — Level 5 Felony
• Battery by Means of a Deadly Weapon — Level 5 Felony
• Unlawful Carrying of a Handgun (Prior Felony Conviction Within 15 Years) — Level 5 Felony
• Pointing a Firearm at Another — Level 6 Felony
Daivion Keimil Washington
• Armed Robbery — Level 3 Felony
