Defendant in multiple McLennan County robberies sentenced to 25 years in prison
WACO, Texas (KWTX) — A Merced, Calif., man linked to multiple robberies in McLennan County, including a $1.7 million heist at Boozer’s Jewelers, was sentenced to 25 years in prison Thursday.
John Rainwater, 43, pleaded guilty for his role in the June 2023 Boozer’s robbery and acknowledged that he also robbed the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet on Waco Drive a few weeks before the jewelry store holdup.
Judge Thomas West of Waco’s 19th State District Court accepted the plea agreement and sentenced Rainwater to 25 years in prison. Rainwater will serve out that state prison term before being transferred to federal prison, where he will serve the 16-year sentence he received for robbing the First Convenience Bank inside the Walmart at 600 Hewitt Drive in April 2022.
By statute, Rainwater will serve the state and federal terms consecutively, for a total of 41 years. He will be given credit for the 812 days he has been jailed while waiting for his cases to be resolved.
Brad Boozer, owner of Boozer’s Jewelry at 1015 N. Valley Mills Drive, attended the court hearing with one of his employees, Aidon Butler, a Baylor University student at the time who was held at gunpoint and later tied up with other employees.
Boozer said he is “very satisfied” with the sentence Rainwater received and thinks “justice was served,” especially since the state and federal sentences will be stacked.
“This was a terrifying thing for my employees, especially the ones who were in the office when this happened,” Boozer said. “He tied up one and held the other employee at gunpoint and then proceeded to take almost everything in the store.”
Boozer said Rainwater and his co-defendants took over 700 pieces of jewelry valued at $1.7 million.
He said his employees have been to counseling to help them deal with the frightening experience.
“That is something that stays with you for life when you have to look down a gun barrel when somebody is actually robbing you,” Boozer said.
Butler said Rainwater forced him to empty the register at gunpoint during the harrowing event and held a gun on him while he took jewelry items, including expensive Rolex watches. Rainwater later zip-tied his hands and forced him and others into the employee break room, he said.
“It is one day I will not soon forget,” Butler said.
Authorities rounded up Rainwater’s co-defendants after they pawned some of the jewelry in Austin. They include Lawanda Lynette Joiner, 35, Jessica Renee Tolbert, 39, Tonia Freeman, 60, and Tontanisha D. Freeman, 37.
They all are charged in pending indictments with “unlawfully appropriating, by acquiring or otherwise exercising control over property, namely diamonds and/or watches and/or jewelry from Boozer’s Jewelers.”
Prosecutor Will Hix said the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office wanted to proceed on Rainwater’s cases before resolving those of his co-defendants.
Rainwater’s attorney, Clay Thomas, declined comment after Thursday’s hearing.
Charges in the Ollie’s robbery were never formally filed. However, Rainwater acknowledged his guilt in that crime during Thursday’s court appearance.
According to arrest records, Rainwater ambushed an Ollie’s employee who was walking to his truck in the parking lot outside the store at 5200 W. Waco Drive.
Rainwater pointed a gun at the employee, warned him not to do anything stupid, then forced the employee to walk back to the front of the store and ordered a female employee to open the door, an arrest affidavit alleges.
Once inside the store, Rainwater demanded the two employees hand over their cell phones, forced them to walk into the cash room, open a safe and then ordered them to place approximately $5,000 into a backpack.
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