CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Two Corpus Christi residents have been sentenced for a series of aggravated robberies, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Jonathan Stein, a 20-year-old, and Alvaro Martinez, a 21-year-old, pleaded guilty on August 4.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales sentenced Stein to 96 months in prison and Martinez to 68 months. Both will also serve three years of supervised release following their sentences. During the hearing, the court reviewed evidence detailing the robberies committed on Christmas Day and the subsequent days. Judge Morales emphasized the seriousness of the offenses and the fear and danger inflicted on the victims.
Between December 25 and 27, 2024, Stein and Martinez collaborated to rob three Stripes convenience stores in Corpus Christi. Surveillance footage captured Stein entering a Stripes store on Airline Road on December 25, wearing a red and grey ski mask and wielding a firearm with an attached drum magazine while demanding money from the cashier. Approximately two days later, he robbed another Stripes store in a similar fashion, with Martinez providing the firearm and acting as the getaway driver.
Authorities discovered a photograph of Martinez posing with a firearm and a large amount of cash, which matched the weapon used in the robberies. Inside his vehicle, they found the firearm and a red-and-black mask matching the one used in the crimes. Both men have been allowed to remain on bond and will voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined soon.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with assistance from the Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.