In a recent development, a 44-year-old resident of Corpus Christi, Jason Jaime Merdes, has been sentenced for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, as announced by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Merdes, who pleaded guilty on August 24, faced sentencing from U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos. The court ordered Merdes to serve 120 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The sentencing took into account not only Merdes' possession of a firearm but also his involvement in a drive-by shooting a day before his arrest.

During the sentencing, two victims of the shooting provided testimony, detailing the impact on their lives and how close the shots came to the rooms where their children were sleeping.

The incident occurred on May 15 when a homeowner heard gunshots outside his residence at around 3 a.m. Upon investigation, law enforcement found shell casings in the street and multiple bullet holes in the home and garage. The homeowner identified Merdes as a possible suspect, having previously hired him for home repair, which was left incomplete.

Neighborhood cameras captured footage of a suspect vehicle, leading law enforcement to Merdes' residence. A traffic stop revealed Merdes wearing a holster on his belt, and a gun was discovered under his seat. A subsequent search of his residence uncovered nine additional firearms. Of the ten firearms in Merdes' possession, one matched the shell casings at the shooting scene, and two others were consistent with recovered bullet fragments.

Due to his status as a convicted felon, Merdes is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. He will remain in custody until his transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility is determined.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Corpus Christi Police.