WEST PALM BEACH — A jury found a Lake Worth Beach man guilty of first degree murder in 2017, the robbery and shooting death of a restaurant employee near Lantana.

Circuit Judge Cymonie Rowe sentenced McIntosh Pierre-Paul, 32, to life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years on Oct. 31 after hearing the verdict in the death of Justin VanMeter, 28 year old. She appointed the Palm Beach County Public Defender’s Office to represent him in an appeal.

Jurors found Pierre-Paul guilty of robbery, but determined that he did not use a weapon during the act.

At the time of Pierre-Paul’s arrest, county Sheriff’s Office investigators said he acted as the getaway driver after another man chased VanMeter down an alley near the Hypoluxo Food Market at Hypoluxo Road and San Castle Boulevard and shot him on July 9, 2017.

Investigators said VanMeter, a Lantana resident, was allegedly robbed for a $100 tip he received while working as a server at a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Boynton Beach.

The alleged shooter, Jean Mary Marcherno, pleaded guilty in October to charges of second-degree murder and armed robbery and was sentenced to 40 years in state prison. A third defendant, Angela Lavallo, served three years in prison after pleading guilty in 2019 to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

More: Fanjul sugar family son pleads guilty to murder in Palm Beach domestic battery case

Gunman, victim met in a store moments before the fatal shooting

Marcherno allegedly spoke with VanMeter inside the store and shook his hand for a few moments before returning to a white Mazda driven by Pierre-Paul and following VanMeter down the driveway.

Investigators said the Mazda was registered to Lavallo, who admitted he was in the vehicle at the time of the shooting. They initially accused her of being an accessory after the fact.

Pierre-Paul told investigators he was an involuntary participant in the murder. However, detectives determined that he turned off the vehicle’s lights when approaching VanMeter in the driveway and noted that he never attempted to call 911 or render aid after the shooting.

Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can contact him at [email protected] and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on the Palm Beach Post: Jury to decide fate of hit-and-run driver in 2017 fatal shooting near Lantana