Rochester man receives 2.5-year sentence in assault, armed robbery cases

(ABC 6 News) – A Rochester man was sentenced to 30 months, or about 2.5 years at the MN Correctional Facility in St. Cloud, in Olmsted County Court Oct. 21.

Bobby Booth, 40, pleaded guilty to a count of 3rd-degree assault–substantial bodily harm in exchange for the dismissal of a Feb. 2024 armed robbery case.

The 3rd-degree assault allegedly took place at the Rochester Salvation Army.

Booth received credit for 235 days already spent in Olmsted County Custody.

The 30-month sentence will be served concurrently, or at the same time as a 21-month sentence for violating a no-contact order, according to court records.

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(ABC 6 News) – A Rochester man is currently held on $200,000 bail after allegedly conducting an armed robbery in a hotel parking lot.

Bobby Booth, 39, faces charges of 1st-degree aggravated robbery and 5th-degree assault–within three years of prior conviction.

According to court documents, Rochester police responded to a hotel on Commercial Drive SW at about 2:30 a.m. Feb. 27, after a report of a robbery.

A man staying at the hotel told police he was staying there with a woman, and another female friend had left the room about 5 minutes before the pair exited.

After the female friend left, the man and woman walked to his car, carrying a duffel bag with around $1,300 in cash, sunglasses, and car keys in it.

A blue car pulled up to the main hotel entrance as the two exited, and the male victim believed the female friend was behind the wheel.

The friend knew there was money in the duffel bag, the man said.

As the pair headed to their own car, the male victim said he was confronted by a Black man wearing a face mask and gloves, wearing dark clothing.

He told police he thought the man was Bobby Booth, but he was not certain, according to court documents.

The male victim said the man pointed him, said “give me the money,” and when the victim tried to go back into the hotel, the masked man tackled him and took the bag, according to court documents.

Then he got into the blue car, which drove away, the male victim told police.

The masked man was carrying a gun, but did not point it at the victim, according to court documents.

The woman with the male victim said she recognized Booth as the man who got out of the blue car and took the bag.

Police took Booth into custody at about 2:50 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 29.

He denied being at the Commercial Drive SW hotel, according to court documents.