Three suspects robbed a Houston Dollar Store Sept. 18, 2016.

At the site of the robbery, Houston Police officers were able to recover a stolen .380 caliber handgun.

Unbeknownst to the criminals, the employees placed a tracking device in the bag with the stolen money. The device led officers to Paris Williams’ home and he was arrested Nov. 17, 2016.

The National Integrated Ballistics Intelligence Network (NIBIN) linked the stolen gun to two separate shooting incidents Oct. 3, 2016. During one of those incidents, Williams shot a man in the leg after an argument.

Once confronted with the evidence by investigators, Williams confessed to two other crimes; a shooting on September 17 and a laundromat robbery, but denied any involvement in the Dollar Store robbery.

The Houston Police Department arrested a second suspect, Gabriel Howard, at his grandmother’s home Nov. 29, 2016. The ATF Houston Field Division Crime Gun Intelligence Center team was searching for Howard for an outstanding state parole violation warrant. While in custody, he confessed to one of the aggravated robberies.

Williams pled guilty and received a sentence of 45 years in prison March 19, 2018, for robbery and assault charges.