Jury convicts two Houston-area men in murder-for-hire plot against wrong man

HOUSTON - Two men have been found guilty on multiple charges related to a conspiracy that resulted in the shooting of a Katy man on his way to work, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

The federal jury deliberated for approximately two days before convicting Michael Seery, 43, Katy, and Ricardo Obando Jr., 51, Houston, following an eight-day trial.

The jury heard the men plotted the murder over the course of months and executed their plan in the early morning of Feb. 4, 2025. Obando shot the victim several times as the man was traveling on his way to work. The victim sustained gunshots wounds to his neck, torso and hand, but ultimately survived.

"An innocent victim was ambushed by gunfire during his daily commute-all because of one man's jealousy and faulty information," said Ganjei. "This verdict demonstrates my office's commitment to identifying and prosecuting all members of violent criminal conspiracies. No matter your role, if you conspire to commit an act of violence in the Southern District of Texas, we will hold you accountable and seek a significant sentence. All Texans deserve to be able to travel to work without fear of becoming a target of violent criminals."

"A murder-for-hire plot transformed a Houston highway into an incredibly dangerous situation for morning commuters," said FBI Houston Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson. "Michael Seery and Ricardo Obando Jr. showed total disregard for human life and put countless innocent bystanders at risk. FBI Houston proudly partnered with the Harris County Sheriff's Office and Texas Department of Public Safety to identify, locate, and apprehend these men in order to bring them to justice."

Seery hired Obando to kill a man he believed had an affair with Seery's wife while Seery was in prison. Cell phone evidence demonstrated how Obando conducted extensive surveillance and a failed attempt on the victim before finally executing the plot.

Obando shot the victim using a firearm equipped with a silencer while the man was driving to work on Highway 99. Jurors heard testimony from the victim and watched the actual footage of the shooting captured on his in-car camera system, which showed the moment of the shooting and the subsequent 911 call.

In reality, Seery targeted the wrong person. The actual intended target had moved out of the residence where Seery believed he lived.

The intended target testified as did Seery's wife. The jury heard about the affair that had occurred 12 years prior and that Seery could not get over it. Testimony revealed that even in January 2025, a few weeks before the murder attempt, Seery was angry about the affair.

Evidence included multiple photos of various firearms and firearm parts found at Seery's home and storage unit. The jury also saw the 3D printer Seery used to manufacture the weapon and silencer that Obando is believed to have used.

Seery had paid Obando through his business to carry out the crime.

The defense attempted to convince the jury there was no evidence about the real intended target or that there was any relationship between the two men and the actual victim, or the intended target. Obando's defense disputed cellular phone evidence, while Seery claimed he was not involved at in the conspiracy. The jury did not believe any of those claims and found the two men guilty as charged.

Both were found guilty of conspiracy to use interstate facilities to commit murder for hire causing bodily injury, aiding and abetting the use of interstate facilities to commit murder for hire causing bodily injury, aiding and abetting discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and aiding and abetting the use of a firearm silencer during and in relation to a crime of violence. Additionally, Seery was found guilty of transferring a firearm to be used in a felony and felon in possession of a firearm, while Obando was convicted of receiving a firearm that was to be used in a felony.

They face up to life in federal prison.

The FBI conducted the investigation along with Harris County Sheriff's Office, Texas Department of Public Safety and Katy Police Department with assistance of Harris County District Attorney's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hunter Brown and Jill Stotts are prosecuting the case.