Joseph Lee Rainey

Convicted and sentenced. Rainey, 35, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery, carrying and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, and was sentenced to a total of 157 months in federal prison.

Introduction

Joseph Lee Rainey, a 35-year-old Munford, Alabama man with six prior felony convictions, was sentenced to 157 months in federal prison — more than thirteen years — for the Hobbs Act robbery of a Marathon gas station in Attalla, Alabama . U.S. District Court Judge Liles C. Burke imposed the sentence, announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama on September 16, 2026, after Rainey pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery, carrying and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm . The case was investigated by the ATF along with the 7th Judicial Major Crimes Unit and the Attalla Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittney L. Plyler and Scott Woodard .

Background Information

According to court documents, on August 20, 2025, Rainey entered the Marathon gas station in Attalla, took a drink from the cooler, and approached the cashier as if he were going to pay for it; when he reached the register, he drew a gun and demanded the money in it, and the cashier complied and gave him nearly $500 . Rainey was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his six prior felony convictions, which span 2016 to 2024 in the Circuit Courts of Calhoun, Talladega, and St. Clair Counties . Five days after the robbery, officers found him — and the gun, matched to the crime — after a chase that ended his run .

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

The arrest unfolded on August 25, 2025, when members of the 7th Judicial Major Crimes Unit found Rainey in Ohatchee, Alabama, as a passenger in a vehicle during a traffic stop . The driver stopped abruptly when officers tried to pull him over and jumped from the car; Rainey moved into the driver’s seat and sped away, leading officers on a high-speed pursuit across Calhoun County that ended when he jumped out of the vehicle and ran . A short time later, officers found him hiding in a wooded area . During their search of the vehicle, officers found a Taurus 9mm pistol matching the gun used in the Marathon robbery, along with a cell phone — and Rainey later admitted the firearm was the same one used in the robbery .

Public Reaction and Consequences

U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. said the sentence “sends a clear message that violent offenders – particularly convicted felons who knowingly choose to disregard the law and commit violent crimes – will be held accountable” . ATF Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet was blunter about the conduct: “In this case, a multi-convicted felon committed a premeditated, terrifying act of violence and showed blatant disregard for human life” . He added that ATF and its partners remain committed “to protecting our communities and confronting offenders such as these, swiftly bringing them to justice before they can commit other senseless, violent crimes” . The case is part of Operation Take Back America, the department’s nationwide violent-crime initiative .

Current Status

Rainey, 35, is serving a 157-month federal sentence imposed by Judge Burke for the three convicted counts, with the firearms counts ensuring the term is served in the federal system where the brandishing provision carries its own consecutive punishment structure . The plea and sentence close the case that began with the August 20, 2025 robbery and ended in a wooded area outside Ohatchee five days later .

Impact on Their Career/Life

At 35, Rainey’s record now runs from six prior felony convictions to a federal sentence measured in more than a decade. The Hobbs Act robbery conviction — federal because the gas station’s commerce crosses state lines — combined with the brandishing and possession counts, means his thirties and much of his forties will be spent in federal custody. The court documents’ detail, down to the drink he took from the cooler before drawing the gun, fixed the event in the public record as a studied, not impulsive, act.

Sources

• U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Alabama, “Seven-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to More than 13 Years in Prison for Gas Station Robbery,” September 16, 2026 — source