Houston Robberies by Former High School Pals Ends in Major Sentences
A 21-year-old man identified as the leader behind a string of violent Houston-area robberies has been sentenced to nearly two decades in federal prison, officials announced this week. Danial Starr, along with three former high school classmates, targeted local smoke shops and a liquor store in a brazen armed crime spree.
Starr pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges, including aiding and abetting robbery and the brandishing of a firearm.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, Starr and his accomplices executed four robberies in just one day—January 27, 2024—hitting three smoke shops and a liquor store across the Houston area. The group’s method involved Starr storming in with a firearm while his accomplices posed as customers to serve as lookouts and distractions. Just two days later, Starr returned alone to one of the same shops, again threatening staff at gunpoint and stealing cash and smoke products.
Federal prosecutors described Starr as the ringleader and confirmed that his three accomplices—also in their late teens and early twenties—have faced or are facing sentencing. Calvin Deshazo, 19, received over nine years, while Patrick Norman, 20, was sentenced to just under three years. A fourth accomplice’s sentencing is still pending.
“This sentence was richly deserved,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “A difficult childhood is not an excuse for committing a crime. Hard-working, law-abiding people should be able to go about their day without having their lives threatened.”
Starr was sentenced to 238 months in federal prison—70 months for the robberies and 168 for the gun charges, to be served consecutively. He must also pay nearly $2,000 in restitution and will face three years of supervised release after his prison term.
