Bank robbers sentenced

Published 9:17 pm Monday, January 31, 2011

A string of March 2010 robberies, including one in East Brewton, gave a couple more than a little spending cash — it gave them just over 10 combined years in prison.

Rhianna Marine Jones, 31, and Jerry Tinsley, 31, were sentenced to prison for their robbery spree that netted just over $9,500 from three Gulf Coast area banks.

Jones was sentenced to 3 years 10 months for her part in the crimes while Tinsley was sentenced to 6 years 5 months in prison.

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The two faced U.S. District Judge Kristi DuBose last week in U.S. Federal Court in Mobile to be sentenced. Dubose passed sentence on the couple who admitted their guilt in the rash of robberies. In addition to Tinsley’s sentence for the robberies, DuBose also revoked his supervised release on federal gun charges and ordered him to serve an additional two years in prison on the charge.

The couple admitted to the judge the crimes were committed to fund a drug addiction they had. One comment by Tinsley’s attorney explained the robbery plan was to get money to buy drugs. When the drugs ran out, the couple would hit another bank to fund the purchase of more drugs.

The couple was charged with robbing a Wachovia Bank branch in Florala on March 4; a United Bank branch in Flomaton on March 8 and the East Brewton Branch of BankTrust on March 17. The couple did not produce weapons nor indicate to tellers that they possessed weapons. The couple also did not threaten harm to any tellers involved in their robberies, which may have been a consideration when sentencing was passed.