A federal grand jury has indicted three men, including a Houston-area stepfather and stepson, in a murder-for-hire plot that ended in gunfire and nearly claimed a man’s life earlier this year.
FIRST REPORT: Stepdad, stepson charged in botched murder-for-hire shooting
The indictment charges 42-year-old Michael Seery of Katy, along with Ricardo Obando Jr., 51, and Matthew Rosas, 24, both of Houston, with a series of federal crimes tied to a months-long conspiracy to kill a man identified in court documents as R.D. in exchange for money.
Prosecutors say the plot began by early December 2024 and continued through at least March 6, 2025. Investigators say the defendants used cellphones, internet messages, firearms, bank transfers, and vehicles to coordinate the attempted hit.
On the morning of Feb. 4, R.D. was shot multiple times while driving along Texas State Highway 99 in Cypress. Despite critical injuries to his neck and torso, the victim managed to pull over and call 911.
Court records say Obando and Rosas had tracked the man’s daily routine for days. That morning, Rosas allegedly drove an unregistered vehicle while Obando rode in the passenger seat. They followed the victim as he left home for work, then pulled alongside his vehicle before Obando opened fire.
All three men are charged with conspiracy to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire resulting in personal injury, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Additional charges detail the use and transfer of illegal firearms. Prosecutors say Seery, a convicted felon, built a handgun and silencer using a 3D printer and gave the weapon to Obando with the intent that it be used in the attack. He is also accused of providing the unregistered car used to follow and ambush the victim.
Seery is now facing multiple gun-related charges, including being a felon in possession of a firearm and knowingly transferring a firearm for use in a felony. According to the indictment, Seery sent electronic payments to Obando, including $305 on February 3, 2025, which Obando then used to pay Rosas for acting as the getaway driver.
When Rosas was arrested ten days after the shooting, police reportedly found $220 on him, including two new $100 bills, and a small amount of cocaine.
If convicted, the men face decades in prison. Several of the charges carry mandatory minimum sentences of 10 to 30 years and potential life terms.
Seery remains in federal custody. Obando and Rosas are currently in state custody, also facing attempted capital murder charges. All three are scheduled to appear in federal court on July 24.
