Selfies Land Dollar Tree Robber In Prison

CLEVELAND, OH — One day after a Dollar Tree in Cleveland was robbed, William Holmes posted a selfie of himself to social media. In the picture, he was holding a stack of money in one hand and a handgun in the other. The day after that he posted another picture with more stacks of money, a black pistol and candy. He captioned the photo: "Money guns n snacks is life," the Department of Justice said.

Those pictures helped connect Holmes to three robberies of Dollar Tree stores throughout Cleveland. Now, the 22-year-old will spend the next 32 years of his life in federal prison for armed robbery, the Department of Justice 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," U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said.

Holmes was convicted of robbing the Miles Road Dollar Tree twice, once on May 14 and again on June 4, and the East 116th Street store on June 19. During the June 4 robbery, Holmes held a handgun to a Dollar Tree employee's head and told them to disarm the store's alarm. Holmes then took approximately $1,500 from the store, according to court documents and trial testimony.

The day after that robbery, Holmes started posting selfies of himself with cash, guns and "snacks," court documents 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," Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said.

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Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images