McALLEN, TEXAS – A third man is now facing federal charges in a violent hotel robbery that left one victim disarmed and authorities scrambling to recover a stolen AR-variant rifle. Nathan Garza, 27, of McAllen, has been added to the indictment alongside Oscar Joel Frias, 20, of Edinburg, and Jahiro Sarmiento Martinez, 29, also of Edinburg, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
The October 13, 2022 robbery took place at a motel in Edinburg, where Frias and Garza allegedly strong-armed a victim out of a DPMS Panther Arms AR-Variant rifle. Prosecutors allege Frias brandished a 9mm pistol during the commission of the crime. Garza is also a convicted felon, making possession of any firearm illegal. Law enforcement quickly zeroed in on the suspects, conducting surveillance the following day which allegedly revealed Martinez loading the stolen AR into a vehicle.
The subsequent vehicle search turned up multiple firearms, further cementing the connection between the three men and a potential network of illegal weapons. Martinez, also a convicted felon, is facing charges for illegally possessing a firearm. Both Frias and Garza are facing additional charges for brandishing firearms during a crime of violence – a charge that carries a mandatory minimum seven-year sentence to be served consecutively with any other prison time.
If convicted, Frias and Garza could each face up to 20 years in federal prison for the robbery itself, and up to 15 years for the firearms charges. Garza, additionally, faces up to 15 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Each conviction also carries a potential fine of up to $250,000. All three remain in custody pending further court proceedings.
The investigation was spearheaded by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with crucial support from local law enforcement agencies including the Edinburg and Palmview Police Departments, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Hidalgo County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Devin V. Walker and Lee A. Fry are prosecuting the case. This case is part of the federal Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing violent crime.
“This isn’t about racking up arrests,” a source within the U.S. Attorney’s office told Grimy Times. “It’s about getting guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them and making our communities safer.” It’s important to remember that an indictment is simply a formal accusation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The feds are building a case, and the clock is ticking.
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