Cleveland's Facebook bandit sentenced

(Cuyahoga County) - A Cleveland man was sentenced to more than 32 years in federal prison for armed robberies of Dollar Tree stores in 2016.

Williams Holmes, 22, was sentenced to 389 months in federal prison. Holmes was convicted of brandishing a firearm during robberies of the Dollar Tree store at 12900 Miles Road on June 4 and at 2892 East 116th Street on June 19, as well as robbing the Miles Road store on May 14.

Holmes entered the Miles Road store on the evening of June 4, held a handgun to an employee’s head and told the employee to disarm the alarm. Holmes took approximately $1,500 from the store, according to court documents and trial testimony

One day after that robbery, Holmes posted a photo of himself on Facebook holding a stack of money in one hand and a handgun in the other. The next day he posted a photograph of several stacks of money, a black pistol and candy laying on a table. Holmes captioned the photo: “Money guns n snacks is life,” according to court documents and trial testimony.

U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman said: “This defendant is a predator who pointed a loaded gun at the head of someone just trying to do their job, then bragged about it on social media. We will continue to target these violent criminals and work together to make our community a safer place to live, work and play.”

“ATF and the Cleveland Division of Police continue our joint effort to remove violent criminals from the streets of Cleveland,” said Trevor Velinor, ATF’s Special Agent in Charge for the Columbus Field Division. “No one should face the threat of violence as they conduct their daily lives. ATF, CPD, and all of our law enforcement partners are united in sending a clear message that firearms violence is unacceptable and those who threaten our communities will be punished.”

Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said: “Once again, a partnered effort between local and federal law enforcement and the federal justice system has resulted in the successful conviction of violent offenders. It is my hope that this sets an example for other young people in our communities considering committing offenses like these, as there are severe consequences for these actions.”

Investigators say this case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime. 

Cleveland police

(Photos by Ken Robinson/WTAM)

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