Three Houston area men are facing hefty charges after being indicted in a conspiracy to commit a murder-for-hire plot, as confirmed by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei's recent announcement. The individuals involved—Michael Seery, Ricardo Obando Jr., and Matthew Rosas—allegedly orchestrated the planned killing over several months.
Seery, who comes from Katy and is 42 years old, remains in custody for previously being charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm; he is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Yvonne Ho on July 24, and his partners in the alleged crime, Obando Jr., 51, and Rosas, 24, who are both from Houston will join him in federal court on the same date, even though right now they are held on related charges in state custody. The Justice Department's statement elucidates that the victim, who was targeted on his commute to work on the morning of February 4, managed to survive the assault despite suffering several gunshot wounds.
Should conviction follow the charges, which include the use of a firearm silencer in the pursuit of a violent crime and discharging a firearm during such an act, the trio could be facing life sentences, with mandatory minimums stretching to thirty and ten years in prison, respectively. These penalties hang over their heads alongside the charges of conspiracy to use, and actual use of, interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder for hire that led to personal injury, which itself carries a maximum of 20 years of incarceration.
Furthermore, Seery and Obando are facing charges for the transfer and receipt of a firearm to be used in a felony offense, which would poise them for up to another 10 years behind bars, with Seery additionally charged with being a felon armed with a firearm that could extend his time away for up to 15 more years. The collaborative investigation bringing these charges forth was conducted by the FBI, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, and Texas Department of Public Safety, with support from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, as Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter Brown leads the prosecution.
