Texas police recently arrested six individuals believed to be responsible for a series of home invasions. Since their arrest, all six have been indicted on federal crime charges. The charges vary from person to person and include assault with a dangerous weapon as well as racketeering conspiracy.

The federal indictment includes a claim that the six-member group referred to themselves as the Castro Enterprise. The group allegedly had a strong suspicion that certain households in the North Texas area stored their money at home rather than in banks. Most of the targeted households were of Asian and Indian descent.

The group is accused of either using force to enter homes, or coercing homeowners into opening the front door for one of the female members. Once inside, authorities say they corralled all of the people inside into a single room, and then searched the house. Before leaving with stolen money and valuables, those inside the house were allegedly bound together with duct tape.

Although the acts that these six individuals are accused of committing occurred in Texas, they all face charges at the federal level. Federal crime charges can be understandably intimidating, especially as potential consequences of a conviction can lead to lengthy sentences behind bars. Depending on the circumstances, defendants may either fight the charges throughout the entirety of the trial court process or negotiate a plea deal with the prosecution. Those accused of committing a federal offense may be well advised to begin preparing in as timely a manner as possible, as further insight into the charges and related evidence can provide valuable information on how best to proceed.

Source: wfaa.com, “Texas criminal group indicted on armed home invasions”, Domingo Ramirez Jr., April 2, 2015