Man Pleads Guilty in Armed Robbery of Attalla Gas Station
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A Munford man has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges stemming from the armed robbery of a gas station in Attalla last year, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.
Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby announced that Joseph Lee Rainey, 34, of Munford, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Liles C. Burke to Hobbs Act robbery, carrying and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, the robbery occurred on August 20, 2025, at the Marathon gas station in Attalla. Authorities say Rainey entered the store, took a drink from the cooler, and approached the cashier as if he intended to pay. Instead, he pulled a firearm and robbed the cashier at gunpoint. The cashier complied with his demands and turned over approximately $500 in cash.
Five days later, on August 25, 2025, members of the 7th Judicial Major Crimes Unit located Rainey in Ohatchee while attempting to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle in which he was a passenger. According to investigators, the driver initially stopped and exited the vehicle, but Rainey then moved into the driver’s seat and sped away.
Officers pursued the vehicle in a high-speed chase that ended when Rainey abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. Authorities later located him hiding in a wooded area and took him into custody.
A search of the vehicle revealed a Taurus 9mm pistol believed to match the firearm used in the Attalla gas station robbery, along with a cell phone.
Federal officials said Rainey was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to six prior felony convictions between 2016 and 2024 in the Circuit Courts of Calhoun, Talladega, and St. Clair counties.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) along with the 7th Judicial Major Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittney L. Plyler is prosecuting the case.
