HOUSTON, Texas — A 34-year-old Houston resident has been sentenced for using a firearm during the robberies of two local grocery stores, according to Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Raul Castro pleaded guilty on January 15 to two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Senior U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal sentenced him to serve 84 months on each count, to run consecutively, totaling a 168-month sentence. This will be followed by five years of supervised release. The court also ordered Castro to make restitution to the two victim businesses.
On October 6, 2023, Castro robbed El Ahorro grocery store on Capitol Street and La Michoacana supermarket on Gulf Freeway eight days later. In both instances, he placed items on the conveyor belt, waited for the cashier to open the drawer, and demanded money at gunpoint. During the El Ahorro robbery, he placed his gun to the side of the cashier, who then provided cash in fear for her safety and of being shot.
Authorities located Castro after he was found driving a stolen car. Upon searching the vehicle, law enforcement discovered clothing that matched those of the man who had committed the grocery store robberies. Castro also identified himself in surveillance footage of the October 14 incident during an interview with federal investigators.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Houston Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ganz prosecuted the case.
