HOUSTON, TX – Two men convicted in a murder-for-hire scheme that left an innocent commuter seriously injured on a Houston-area highway will spend the rest of their lives in prison, after a federal judge handed down life sentences this week. The case, which unfolded along Texas State Highway 99, revealed months of planning that ultimately targeted the wrong man.
Ricardo Obando Jr., 52, of Houston, and Michael Seery, 43, of Katy, were sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge David Hittner following their February convictions on multiple charges tied to the plot. Both men received life sentences, along with additional prison time to run consecutively. Obando was convicted on conspiracy and weapons charges, while Seery faced those same counts plus two additional convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Plot rooted in jealousy and mistaken identity
Prosecutors said the scheme began with Seery’s belief that his wife had been unfaithful while he was incarcerated. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, Seery hired Obando to carry out the killing, setting in motion a plan that culminated in violence earlier this year.
On the morning of Feb. 4, 2025, Obando opened fire on a man driving along Highway 99, striking him in the neck, torso, and hand. The victim, who was on his way to work, survived the attack. Evidence presented in court included video from the victim’s in-car camera capturing the gunfire and the ensuing 911 call.
Investigators later determined the intended target had moved, meaning the man shot was not the person Seery had intended to kill.
“An innocent victim was ambushed by gunfire during his daily commute—all because of one man’s jealousy and faulty information,” U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei said in a statement.
Evidence revealed planning, weapons and payment trail
Court records and testimony showed Obando used a 3D-printed firearm equipped with a silencer during the attack. Prosecutors also presented cellphone data indicating extensive surveillance of the victim and evidence of an earlier failed attempt on his life.
“Testimony revealed that even in January 2025, a few weeks before the murder attempt, Seery was angry about the affair,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. “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’s wife testified during trial that the affair at the center of his anger had occurred roughly 12 years earlier. Authorities also told jurors that Seery used his business to pay Obando, masking the payments tied to the planned killing.
A third defendant, 25-year-old Matthew Rosas, who prosecutors alleged drove the vehicle during the shooting, was acquitted by the jury.
“This was a very unique case and a great example of how local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies worked together to solve what was originally thought to be a road rage incident but turned out to be a highly planned assassination attempt on the wrong person,” said Jason Hudson, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Houston office.
