Conviction Upheld For Tuscaloosa Woman Serving Life Sentence For String Of Robberies

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals has affirmed the life sentence handed down by a Tuscaloosa Circuit Court judge after a woman with an extensive criminal record was convicted on a string of business robberies in 2019.

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Rocshelle Howard is serving her sentence at Tutwiler Prison after Patch reported in December 2023 when Circuit Court Judge Brad Almond cited her record as a habitual offender in his decision to sentence her to life without parole.

Signed into law in 1979, Alabama's Habitual Felony Offender Act mandates a sentence of life in prison without parole for those convicted of a Class A felony after having been previously convicted of any three felonies, regardless of the degree of offense.

According to court records, Howard was initially accused of providing weapons and driving the getaway car for two teenagers who later admitted to their roles in robbing Tuscaloosa restaurants and businesses at gunpoint in July and September 2019.

Howard was first charged with seven counts of first-degree robbery when she was arrested on Dec. 27, 2019.

The two teenagers told police that they were responsible for robbing two Domino’s locations, a McDonald’s restaurant, the Waffle House location on Skyland Boulevard, a Jimmy John’s restaurant and the CVS on Veterans Memorial Parkway.

The teens entered each business wearing masks and brandishing handguns, usually around closing time, before demanding cash from the businesses.

The teens confessed to investigators that the money was split three ways.

For her role in the criminal enterprise, Howard reportedly received a larger portion each time.

Following the sentencing last December, defense attorney Rachel Cohen Blume, of Northport's Blume & Blume Attorneys at Law, filed an appeal to the conviction and sentence.

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