A Corpus Christi man, previously convicted and now again on the wrong side of the law, has landed a decade-long sentence for a drive-by shooting at a former client’s home. Jason Jaime Merdes, aged 44, will be in federal prison for 120 months, as per the ruling by U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos, confirmed U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani on Wednesday.
Back in August, Merdes pleaded guilty to the charge, and the recent court session saw victims step forward to recount the terror wrought by the bullets that flew dangerously close to their slumbering children. The handyman had been previously given the boot by the homeowner for a botched repair job and was suspected quickly to have maybe been the gunman after the May incident, according to a statement obtained by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Police were tipped off by a surveillance video that showed a suspect vehicle much resembling Merdes’ ride. They didn’t have to wait long to spot the vehicle leaving his residence. During a subsequent traffic stop, officers discovered a smoking gun—a holster on Merdes’ belt and more importantly, a firearm under his seat, matching the used shells from the shooting scene. A subsequent search of his dwelling revealed an additional bonanza of nine firearms.
“Two victims of the shooting provided testimony to the court, both describing how the shooting has affected their lives and how close the shots were to the rooms where their children were sleeping,” the Department of Justice’s report detailed. Further proceedings will determine which federal prison is to become Merdes’ new residence for the coming years.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Corpus Christi Police Department conducted the incident. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Martin led the charge in the courtroom.
