Victor Guardado Zepeda, Violent Robberies, Texas 2025

SHERMAN, TX – A brazen crime spree terrorizing the Denton and Lewisville areas has landed a Houston man a lengthy federal prison sentence. Victor Guardado Zepeda, 43, will spend the next 19 years and 3 months behind bars after pleading guilty to multiple federal charges related to a series of violent robberies.

Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs announced that Zepeda was sentenced on August 26, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III. The sentence stems from a multi-count indictment including conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery; conspiracy to carry a firearm during a crime of violence; two counts of Hobbs Act robbery; and two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The total penalty: 231 months in federal prison.

Court records detail a ruthless pattern of violence. Zepeda led a crew that targeted two convenience stores, making off with over $100,000 in cash. The robberies weren’t simple thefts; they were calculated acts of intimidation and brutality. Assailants stormed the stores, immediately brandishing firearms and forcing one employee to kneel at gunpoint. While some focused on the cash registers, others turned their aggression towards store employees, inflicting severe beatings on one victim in the manager’s office.

The Department of Justice frames this case within “Operation Take Back America,” a nationwide initiative touted as a full-scale assault on illegal immigration, cartels, and transnational criminal organizations. The operation aims to streamline resources from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), promising a hard line against violent offenders. Critics question the broad scope of the initiative, but DOJ officials insist it’s a necessary step to reclaim communities from criminal influence.

The investigation, a collaborative effort, involved agents with the FBI, the Denton Police Department, and the Lewisville Police Department. These agencies pieced together the evidence that ultimately led to Zepeda’s conviction and sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chalana A. Oliver prosecuted the case, arguing for a substantial sentence to reflect the severity of the crimes and deter future offenses.

Zepeda’s lengthy sentence sends a message: violent crime in North Texas will be met with a swift and uncompromising response from federal authorities. While the streets of Denton and Lewisville may be a little safer, the underlying issues driving these crimes remain a persistent challenge for law enforcement and communities alike. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this story and report on the ongoing fight against organized crime in the Eastern District of Texas.

RELATED: Cartel Kingpin Gets 20 Years

Related Federal Cases