MOBILE, Ala. – A three-time bank robber who fired a shot from a sawed-off shotgun during a holdup at Alabama Telco CU last April will go to prison for almost 47 years, a federal judge ruled yesterday.
Charles Hines, 36, pleaded guilty in September to stealing $5,726 from the credit union on April 30. Hines fired a warning shot after a member tried to follow him out of the building, police said.
The member ended up flagging down a Mobile police officer, who chased Hines until the robber crashed his car into another vehicle and a telephone pole.
Because of the defendant’s two prior violent crimes, Hines was categorized as a career criminal, subject to stiffer penalties. With good behavior, Hines can cut his prison term to a little less than 40 years in prison. But there is no parole in the federal system.
