Two Houston men sentenced to life after botched murder plot leaves wrong man shot
Published 2:09 pm Wednesday, April 29, 2026
HOUSTON — Two men have been sentenced to life in federal prison for their roles in a murder-for-hire plot that left a Katy man seriously wounded, federal prosecutors announced.
A jury convicted Michael Seery, 43, of Katy, and Ricardo Obando Jr., 52, of Houston, following an eight-day trial that concluded Feb. 5. Jurors deliberated for about two days before returning guilty verdicts.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner later imposed life sentences on both men.
Prosecutors said the pair spent months planning the attack, which was carried out in the early morning hours of Feb. 4, 2025. Authorities said Obando shot the victim multiple times as he drove to work along Highway 99. The victim suffered gunshot wounds to the neck, torso and hand but survived.
According to trial testimony, Seery hired Obando to kill a man he believed had an affair with his wife while Seery was in prison. Evidence presented in court showed Obando conducted surveillance on the intended target and made at least one unsuccessful attempt before carrying out the shooting.
Officials said Obando used a firearm equipped with a silencer during the attack. Jurors viewed footage from the victim’s in-car camera system, which captured the shooting and the subsequent 911 call, and also heard testimony from the victim.
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Authorities said Seery ultimately targeted the wrong person. The intended victim had moved from the residence where Seery believed he lived.
The intended target and Seery’s wife both testified during the trial. Prosecutors said the affair in question occurred more than a decade earlier, but evidence showed Seery remained angry about it, including in the weeks leading up to the shooting.
Investigators also recovered firearms, firearm parts and a 3D printer from Seery’s home and storage unit, which prosecutors said was used to manufacture the weapon and silencer used in the attack. Evidence showed Seery paid Obando through his business to carry out the plot.
Defense attorneys argued there was insufficient evidence linking the defendants to the intended target or the victim. Obando’s defense challenged cellphone evidence, while Seery denied involvement in the conspiracy. Jurors rejected those arguments.
Both men remain in custody and will be transferred to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility at a later date.
The FBI and Harris County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation, with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Katy Police Department and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hunter Brown and Jill Stotts prosecuted the case.
Jakob Gurley is a multimedia journalist with the Victoria Advocate. He can be reached at jakob.gurley@vicad.com.