United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

1100 Commerce St., 3rd Fl.
Dallas, Texas 75242-1699

Telephone (214) 659-8600
Fax (214) 767-0978

DALLAS MAN SENTENCED TO MORE THAN 13 YEARS
IN FEDERAL PRISON, WITHOUT PAROLE, ON
CARJACKING AND FIREARMS CONVICTIONS

One Victim is Hurricane Katrina Evacuee from New Orleans

DALLAS - Felipe Acosta, a/k/a “Pepe,” who was part of a group of men who went on an armed robbery and carjacking spree in Dallas last January, was sentenced to 161 months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Acosta’s co-defendant Guillermo Flores, a/k/a “Willy,” was sentenced in early January to 153 months imprisonment. Co-defendant Gonzalo Gandara, a/k/a “GG,” has pled guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn in April.

The defendants admitted that on the morning of January 18, 2006, Acosta, 18, Flores, 19, and Gandara, 19, embarked on an armed robbery spree in Dallas using a short-barreled (sawed-off) shotgun. They were arrested early that afternoon at the Gandara residence by Dallas Police Department officers shortly after they had attempted another armed robbery.

According to documents filed in court and evidence presented at the defendants’ detention hearings, at about 7:25 a.m. that morning, a person was passing out flyers at an apartment complex in Dallas when he was approached by Acosta and Flores, who got out of a dark-colored Lincoln that had stopped. Flores asked the victim if he had anything of value at which point Acosta pulled out a sawed-off shotgun. The victim said he didn’t carry money while at work, at which point Acosta put the weapon to his head. Flores took the victim’s cell phone and keys to his vehicle. Then the driver of the Lincoln, Gandara, pulled up and shouted to Flores and Acosta to “get out of here.” Flores and Acosta entered the Lincoln and the three men sped away in the Lincoln. The victim reported the incident to the Dallas Police Department.

Shortly thereafter, at approximately 7:40 a.m., a woman drove her sport utility vehicle to pick up another woman, a displaced hurricane evacuee from New Orleans, at an apartment complex in Dallas. The evacuee entered the vehicle, with her three-year-old child, and as they were about to leave, a dark colored Lincoln pulled up and blocked them. Gandara approached them under the guise of asking for directions and when they could not help, Acosta approached with a sawed-off shotgun and ordered them out of the vehicle and onto the ground. Acosta even pointed the weapon at the child seated in the backseat of the vehicle and took the victims’ purses. Both victims pleaded for their lives and for the life of the child. As the victims‘ belongings were being searched for valuables, one of the three men exclaimed, “Y’all ain’t got no money?!” At this point, one of the victims informed them she was from New Orleans to which one of the men exclaimed “Welcome to Texas, bitch.” The three men took their purses, cell phones and keys to the vehicle, and sped away. The women immediately reported it to the Dallas Police Department.

At approximately 8:00 a.m. that morning, the dark colored Lincoln, driven by Gandara, stopped behind a work van that was driven by a painter who had stopped to pick up workers at a location in Dallas. The van was equipped and recognizable as one used in the painting business. Acosta, Flores and Gandara, who had a sawed-off shotgun, were riding in the Lincoln looking for yet another robbery target. They spotted the van and decided to take it from the driver at gunpoint. Acosta and Flores exited the Lincoln and confronted the victim with the sawed-off shotgun. The victim surrendered the vehicle as the defendants demanded because he feared that he would be shot and killed if he refused. The three defendants then fled the scene in the Lincoln and in the painter’s van.

At approximately 1:00 p.m. that afternoon, the three defendants attempted yet another robbery, attempting to rob three men who were working at a rent house in Dallas. Gandara produced a sawed-off shotgun threatening to kill one of the victims if he didn’t hand over his wallet. The victims were able to repel the defendants and reported the incident to the Dallas Police Department. Dallas Police Department officers arrested the three defendants at about 2:40 p.m. at Gandara’s home.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Dallas Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Tromblay.

###