Nicholas J. Ganjei United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A Honduran man residing illegally in Houston has been sentenced to nearly 13 years in federal prison for his involvement in an armed robbery, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. The case entails significant developments and legal proceedings due to the severity of the charges against the individual.
Carlos Gonzalez-Vargas, aged 21, confessed to discharging a firearm during and in connection to a violent crime when he appeared in court on February 7. Subsequently, U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal sentenced Gonzalez-Vargas to a 150-month prison term. Being a non-citizen, he will likely face deportation after serving his sentence. During the sentencing, it was revealed that Gonzalez-Vargas had gang affiliations and had shared self-portraits on social media with the firearm used in crimes. Moreover, he had fired the weapon at a 13-year-old merely one month after the robbery. The court highlighted that the minimum sentence does not correspond to the gravity of his actions.
The robbery took place on January 16, 2023, when Gonzalez-Vargas and three accomplices entered a Family Dollar store, where he brandished a firearm and demanded money from an employee. Upon delay in response, Gonzalez-Vargas shot the employee in the leg before the group escaped with cash. Surveillance footage captured Gonzalez-Vargas wearing unique sneakers during the crime.
A month later, Gonzalez-Vargas used the same firearm in a confrontation involving a 13-year-old, leading to his arrest. Upon his capture, he was found to be wearing the same sneakers seen in surveillance footage from the robbery.
Currently, Gonzalez-Vargas remains in custody as authorities decide his transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with support from the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Tallichet managed the prosecution.
The case benefitted from investigative leads provided by ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), a tool that helps resolve crimes by comparing ballistic evidence nationally. More information on NIBIN can be accessed on the ATF's official website.
