United States of America v. Adrienne Rosse

Memphis, Tennessee, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with cyberstalking.

Adrienne Rosse, 37, of Arlington, Tennessee, Adrienne Rosse’s husband, Charles Rosse, is being prosecuted by the Shelby County District Attorneys’ Office for charges of rape and sexual battery. A 2023 trial on those charges resulted in a mistrial due to a hung jury. The Assistant District Attorney (ADA) who prosecuted the case attempted to negotiate a settlement of the case, and told Charles Rosse that if they did not reach a plea agreement, she intended to re-try the case. Charles Rosse rejected the plea offer. His case remains pending.

Adrienne Rosse was “filled with rage” about the continued prosecution of her husband. In August 2023, she sent anonymous letters to the Tennessee Attorney General, the Shelby County District Attorney, several local news reporters, the Memphis Bar Association, and the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility, falsely accusing the ADA of having a secret career in pornography, which she described in graphic detail and supported with 20 pages of pornographic photos of women who resembled the ADA.

In November 2023, unsatisfied because the ADA had suffered no professional consequences and was continuing to prosecute her husband, Adrienne Rosse sent out another round of anonymous letters, enclosing the same pornographic photos, this time to local defense attorneys. Because of this harassment, the ADA left the Shelby County District Attorney’s office and moved from the Memphis area. Despite Adrienne Rosse’s attempts to destroy her career, the ADA has continued her career as a prosecutor in a new location.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 5, 2026 before the Honorable U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris of the Western District of Tennessee. Adrienne Rosse faces up to five years of incarceration, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: “Prosecutors seek justice every day without fear or favor on behalf of the public, and no person deserves to be victimized and retaliated against because of their public service occupation. The defendant’s attempt to destroy the distinguished career of an ADA is reprehensible, and we will seek a significant sentence in this case to deliver justice for the victim and hold this offender accountable.”

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO).

Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Delery and Raven Icaza prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

The Defendant was found guilty on two counts of cyberstalking for mailing harassing letters about a Shelby County Assistant District Attorney.