Texas Synagogue Standoff: Man Who Sold Gun To Pakistani Origin Hostage Taker Charged With Federal Firearm Crime

Houston, Jan 27 (PTI) A 32-year-old convicted felon has been charged with a federal firearm crime for selling a gun to Pakistani-British Malik Faisal Akram who held four hostages inside a Texas synagogue earlier this month before being fatally shot by the FBI.

Henry “Michael” Dwight Williams was charged on Tuesday with being a felon in possession of a firearm, the US Department of Justice said in a statement on Wednesday.

Williams – a felon previously convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and attempted possession of a controlled substance – allegedly sold Akram a semi-automatic Taurus G2C pistol on January 13.

Two days later, on January 15, agents recovered the pistol from Colleyville’s Congregation Beth Israel synagogue, where Akram had held four individuals hostage for several hours before he was fatally shot by federal law enforcement, the statement said.

Williams made his initial appearance before US Magistrate Judge Renee H Toliver in the Northern District of Texas Wednesday afternoon. A detention hearing has been set for January 31, it said.

Akram, 44, from Blackburn in Lancashire, northwest England, was shot dead by an FBI SWAT team 10 hours into the stand-off.

He demanded the release of Pakistani neuroscientist Afia Siddiqui, dubbed “Lady Al Qaeda” for her ties with the terrorist network, being held in detention not too far from the synagogue, following conviction for trying to kill US military officers while in custody in Afghanistan.

All four hostages, including a rabbi, were released unharmed after the long stand-off.

“As a convicted felon, Williams was prohibited from carrying, acquiring or selling firearms,” US attorney Chad E Meacham said in the statement.

“Whether or not he knew of his buyer’s nefarious intent is largely irrelevant - felons cannot have guns, period,” Meacham said.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)