The man who sold the gun used in an attack at a Texas synagogue on January 15, 2022, Thursday pled guilty to federal charges. Henry “Michael” Dwight Williams pled guilty to felony possession of a firearm. Williams sold a semiautomatic Taurus G2C pistol to Malik Faisal Akram, a British citizen. Akram then used the pistol to hold four people hostage at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Texas.

On January 16, during an interview with the FBI, Williams claimed that when he met Akram he only recalled that the man had a British accent. During a January 24 interview, Williams confirmed that Akram was the man he sold the gun to after looking at a photo of Akram. Evidence from cellphone records show that Akram and Williams were in contact from January 11 to January 13.

Matthew DeSarno, Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge said, “[t]ireless days of nonstop investigation revealed the connection of Mr. Akram to Mr. Williams, we are grateful to the many law enforcement agencies and personnel that traced the weapon’s nefarious source.” U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham said Williams, who had a prior history of felonies “had no business carrying – much less buying and selling – firearms.”