Two men from the Houston area have been sentenced to life in prison for their involvement in a murder-for-hire conspiracy that led to the shooting of a Katy man, Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck announced on Apr. 28.
The case highlights the serious consequences of violent conspiracies and underscores the work of federal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies in addressing such crimes. The victim, who was not the intended target, survived multiple gunshot wounds after being attacked while driving to work.
According to trial testimony, Michael Seery hired Ricardo Obando Jr. to kill a man he believed had an affair with Seery’s wife during his incarceration. However, Seery targeted the wrong individual after relying on outdated information about where his intended target lived. Evidence presented included cell phone records showing surveillance efforts by Obando and video footage from the victim's car capturing both the shooting and his subsequent emergency call.
Jurors also saw photographs of firearms found at Seery’s home and storage unit, as well as a 3D printer used to manufacture parts for weapons and silencers allegedly used in the crime. Both defendants denied involvement or challenged evidence linking them to either each other or their intended victim, but were found guilty following an eight-day trial.
The investigation was conducted by several agencies including the FBI, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, Katy Police Department, with assistance from Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hunter Brown and Jill Stotts prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas has included notable figures such as Alamdar Hamdani and Ryan Patrick among its former leaders according to its official history page. The office operates locations in Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville as described on its official website, employs more than 200 attorneys covering 43 counties with over nine million residents according to official data, focuses on prosecuting federal crimes as part of its duties under the U.S. Department of Justice according to agency information, and has seen leaders like Alamdar Hamdani serve between 2022-2025 as noted by historical records.
